Enemy Of My Enemy
by MistressZero
Summary: After the failed takeover mission, Kadence Jestings sees the perfect opportunity to wash her hands of the very organization she's worked for since she was a kid. However, HYDRA doesn't like loose ends, which leaves Kadence in the hands of the last person she wanted to be alone with.
1. Chapter One: As Good As Dead

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters or organizations that may appear or be mentioned in this story, including but not limited to: Winter Soldier/Bucky Barns, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff, Nick Fury, Falcon/Sam Wilson, HYDRA, or S.H.I.E.L.D.

All other characters however are mine.

This is my first published fanfiction...you've been warned.

Takes place after CA:TWS

Warning: Rating is M for safety.

Enjoy!

_After the failed takeover mission, Kadence Jestings sees the perfect opportunity to wash her hands of the very organization she's worked for since she was a kid. However, HYDRA doesn't like loose ends, which leaves Kadence in the hands of the last person she wanted to be alone with._

**Chapter One: As Good As Dead**

She massaged the peak of her nose with her thumb and forefinger for a moment, her elbows resting on the surface of her desk. An annoyed sigh passed her lips as she released her nose and gazed back up at the monitors before her, all six of them decorated with multiple applications running various encryption codes; save for the monitor on the far left which was occupied running logistics on a small server blade mounted to a dock on the top of the desk.

"What a nightmare" she grumbled.

An alert tone brought her attention to the far right screen, where a window popped up, prompting an incoming call from a restricted number.

"Incoming call…do you accept parameters?" a female voice chimed over the speakers.

"I accept" she snipped.

The window enlarged, syncing a video call with two males. She recognized the one on the left immediately. He looked in his forties, brown eyes and short gray hair with a thin mustache, dressed in a black business suit and pin stripped tie. The I.D stamped on the top right of his feed listed him as Anthony Jestings…her father.

The man on the right however, she had never seen before. He too looking in his forties, his brown hair, cursed with grey above his ears, seemed to gather at the top of his head. Steel colored eyes bore down on her and the thin crease of his lips suggested he was not in the best of moods. He donned a dark grey dress suit, with a lighter grey collared shirt and a cream and chocolate stripped tie. Between the two of them, she felt severely under dressed, wearing nothing but a pair of loose fitting bed pants, and a tank top.

"Report" The man on the right barked.

She opened her mouth to snap back, but quickly held her tongue upon realizing that the man's I.D stamp only read encrypted, which meant she didn't have access to his real name, which also meant he was a higher up. Swallowing her attitude with the slightest hint of resentment, she took a breath and finally spoke.

"I've analyzed the targeting blade that we recovered from the wreckage and its coding does not match the originals that were installed and verified before launch. System logs indicate that the targeting blades on all three carriers had been swapped out within minutes of each other. Once the last blade was installed, the system was over-ridden remotely from an IP address within S.H.I.E.L.D's head office"

"So that indicates that the resistance force was prepared?" Anthony asked.

"Yes. This technology is an exact proprietary match, meaning it was specifically designed to over-ride the targeting system" she replied.

"And what of the data leak, have you managed to contain it?" the man on the right quipped, allowing her to catch his Russian accent.

"Every attempt to hijack and encrypt the data has failed. It's on a redundancy repeat that uploads on so many different IP sources, it's impossible to-"

"Can you stop it or not?" he barked.

She narrowed her eyes and swallowed hard, reigning in her temptation to give him what for. She didn't like being bossed around by men she didn't know, especially given that since the failure of the NWO mission only a week ago, she's barely had any sleep in that time; stuck in front of her computer during all hours of day and night trying to put a lid on the data leak that exposed HYDRA.

"No…I can't" she replied sternly.

"Very well. Mr. Jestings, you are to reassign all surviving agents to any division that could use their particular skill set. In the meantime, we will begin rebuilding the U.S division as soon as possib-"

"Are you nuts!?" she spat, finally losing her temper.

Her father went rigid, while the Russian just seemed taken aback.

"I beg your pardon!?" he hissed.

"HYDRA has been exposed for christ's sake! FBI, CIA…even military forces are hunting down any and all agents they can get their hands on and charging them with international treason, and you wanna send another team in!? Security here is on lockdown, and last I checked, the president had already been in conference with the U.N and allied nations, warning them about our little operation. We don't need to rebuild, we need disappear until things calm down"

The silence that followed was enough to make a cold chill dance across her veins, but the Russian suddenly seemed amused.

"Ms. Jestings, you are merely a senior computer analyst of a now, discontinued division. I, with the death of Alexander Pierce, am now the head commander of HYDRA…which means, I decide where we go from here…not you. Mr. Jestings you are to follow my order without question, do you understand?" the Russian spoke coldly.

"Yes sir" Anthony stated.

"Good…and in the meantime, I suggest you re-educate your daughter on how HYDRA's hierarchy works"

With that, the Russian disconnected his feed, leaving her alone with her father, who sighed as if a weight had been removed from his lungs.

"I suggest you re-educate your daughter on how HYDRA's hierarchy works" she mocked snidely.

"Kade"

"You know I'm right! We send another team in now and the mission will fail before it even gets underway!"

"Kade!" he hissed sternly.

She sighed heavily, and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We will do, what is expected of us….and we will do it without question…do you understand?"

"I knew them" Kade stated, staring at her father's image on the screen.

"What?"

"The agents on the helicarriers, the ones they're arresting…I knew them"

"I know Kade, but they were aware of the risks"

"Did they!?...did you!?"

Anthony said nothing, averting his eyes as he took a deep breath.

"I'm reassigning you to New Zealand, I want you to lay low for a while and wait until I-"

"You know, when I first joined HYDRA, all they talked about was world peace. Yea they killed people, and did things that didn't really make sense at the time, but they kept saying it was all for the greater good. Looking at it now, it makes me wonder how I could have been so naïve. Look at what they're doing…this isn't peace…its chaos!"

"In order to build a new world, you have to destroy the old one"

"Listen to yourself! That's exactly what they're doing, they're destroying everything without remorse! This isn't global peace, this is global domination for the power hungry…and I don't want to be a part of it anymore"

"Enough!...Just…take the reassignment, give yourself time to clear your head and think strait"

"I am thinking strait dad…for the first time in years, I have never been more sure…I'm done…I'm done working for the industry of death"

She could almost see the vein pop out on his forehead. The muscles in his neck strained momentarily and it looked as if he was shaking.

"Are you aware of the gravity of what you're suggesting…do you have any idea what they'll do to you when they catch you!?"

"They'll charge me as an international traitor, throw me in a maximum security prison or just issue me the death penalty due to my rank within HYDRA" she replied casually.

"I'm not talking about the government, I'm talking about HYDRA..."

She heard the strain in his voice, no doubt this was a difficult conversation for him.

"…you've seen first-hand what they do to agents that go rogue"

Kade laughed inwardly, playing at her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment before she spoke.

"I think I can take care of myself dad…I've been doing it for the past six years…I'm sorry"

"Kade"

"I love you"

"Kade don't you-"

She didn't give him a chance to finish before she terminated the call and proceeded to exit from the windows on her screens before creating a new one; her fingers flying across the keyboard with expert precision…the focus carved in her eyes was unrelenting.

Nightfall had just reached D.C, but that meant nothing for the FBI, who seemed to take double shifts on a regular basis since the S.H.I.E.L.D incident that happened just a week prior. For agent Martin Rivera, it just meant another late night he'd have to make up to his wife; with the hope that he still had a wife by the time this was all over.

They had already apprehended several covert HYDRA agents, from Senators to cab drivers to athletes, if they weren't working for the organization directly, they were funding it. Had it not been for the cyber leak that happened at the same time as the incident, nobody would have ever known HYDRA even existed, let alone their plan to wipe out half the population of the U.S.

"Rivera, coffee?" another agent chimed, offering a steaming cup of black roast.

"Oh god yes" Rivera groaned, accepting the mug and carefully taking a sip.

He closed his eyes in delight as he swallowed the contents of what he took, letting loose a throaty groan.

"Liquid consciousness" the agent remarked.

"Damn strait" Rivera stated.

"So how's Sophie handling your all-nighters?"

"Dude, by the time this is over, I'll be spending a year just in I owe you dates…providing I'm not divorced by then"

"I feel ya…I've been sentenced to the couch three nights in a row now"

"Ouch"

"Yea"

"Agent Rivera!" a female voice called, breaking the two from their conversation.

Martin leaned back, allowing himself to be seen by the approaching agent.

"You have a call on line three, you'll want to take this one"

"Please don't tell me it's my wife…"

"It's not" she replied, setting up the tracer that had been placed and ready next to the phone.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"Like I said…you'll want to take this call" she advised, nodding her head in notion for him to pick up the phone.

The two men exchanged quick glances before Rivera shrugged his shoulders, setting his mug down and grabbing the receiver.

"FBI, agent Rivera speaking" he stated.

"Agent Rivera, I hope I'm not interrupting anything" the female inquired from the other line.

"Not at all, what can I help you with?"

"Oh? It seemed you and agent Daniels were having a bit of a "man moment"…for lack of a better term"

Rivera's face paled slightly as he looked over at his male counterpart, then scanned the room and locked sights on the security camera trained at them.

"Yes…as a matter of fact, I can see you" she cooed.

"How the fu-"

"I should probably introduce myself agent, my name is Kadence Jestings…but you probably know me better as Jester"

"Jester? _THE_ Jester? The same Jester that hacked into the national defense database!?"

"The one and only"

Rivera could do nothing but stare blankly at the female agent who seemed rather amused by his reactions.

"Told you you wanted to take the call" she mused.

"I won't bore you with my history agent Rivera, I'm sure my rap sheet is long enough without including all the other hacks I am responsible for" the caller stated.

"Well then, I guess this is an honor…what uh…what can I do for you?" he asked, casually glancing at the tracer working madly to pinpoint the signal.

"Well you can stop wasting your time waiting on the tracer to finish, honestly with my reputation you should know better than to think I'm stupid enough to allow a trace-line into my network…but if you insist, I'm sure by now it's reading that I'm somewhere in Tolpeka Kansas"

No sooner had she said the words, did the tracer complete the line, reading that the call was coming from Kansas. Rivera groaned, and lowered his head; surely she wouldn't make it that easy.

"You live up to your reputation Ms. Jester…can I be honest and admit that I never would have took you for a girl" he laughed, albeit awkwardly given the sour looks he got from his co-workers.

"Don't feel bad, everyone thinks I'm a guy…in fact some people get really offended when they find out I'm a female"

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you didn't call me to make small talk"

"You're right agent Rivera, I didn't. I actually called you to inform you that I just finished running decryption software on all my server drives, so in the event you retrieve them, all the information stored will be easily accessible, even for someone who's less than computer savvy…like you"

He snorted at the underlying insult.

"And why would I want your information?" he asked.

"Well aside from being one of the most wanted hackers in the nation, there's something else very…VERY…few people know about me"

"What would that be?"

"I am, or at least I was, the senior computer analyst for the US division of HYDRA"

Rivera went rigid, and swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. Everything I've hacked, everything I've stolen, has been for HYDRA's benefit, and now, you will have access to every bit of it. Granted most of that information is readily available on the internet, but the few missing pieces will be yours"

"I think this is a conversation best for a face to face, don't you think?"

"Not just yet Rivera, I have a few things I need to do before I go sentencing myself to life in prison"

"I can put in a good word for you if you let me pick you up tonight"

"I appreciate it…but not even a grace from God can save me at this point. I'm going to give you an address that will have everything I'm surrendering, no point in busting down the door, I'll leave it unlocked for you"

"Why are you doing all this?"

"Excuse me?"

"As talented as you are, you could just make yourself a new identity and disappear…why turn everything in?"

She was silent for a few moments, and Rivera panicked at the thought she just hung up.

"Consider it my way of trying to make amends for the things I've done…for the things they've done"

The response seemed heartfelt, and Rivera almost felt a pang of sympathy for her.

"You ready for that address?"

Kadence kept her eyes on the road in front of her, nearly in a daze as the amber glow of the street lights drifted by her making her way through downtown, heading for the freeway. Beastie Boys could barely be heard playing on the radio of her Civic, but music was the last thing on her mind.

She came to a stop light, tapping her thumb rhythmically on the steering wheel as her thoughts raced. There was enough cash in her purse to last her for at least a week, and she'd probably be able to use the fake credit cards for a month providing there won't be security camera's at the point of transaction. The duffle bag of clothes in the backseat was enough for about four days, plus the jeans and t-shirt she was currently wearing.

A part of her wondered if she had any idea what she was really doing. Her eyes darted to the clock, seeing the bright white digital reading on the dash read 10:45. No doubt agents would be swarming the location she provided, only to find the actual address written down on a piece of paper taped to the fridge. It would take them another twenty minutes to get across town to her flat, which was more than enough time for her to power up the laptop in the passenger seat and remotely wipe everything before they even got a peek.

It would be a necessary action if she needed it, but the clock was ticking…her window was limited; she had twenty minutes to decide on whether or not to go back to HYDRA. Eyes then drifted down to her hip, where a nine millimeter was holstered to her thigh, chambered and ready. She knew very well she'd be forced to use it if the answer was no.

The light turned green and she cautiously hit the gas, trying not to let her driving display how uneasy she was getting. She was a hacker, not a fighter. Hell the only time that gun got fired was at the shooting range once or twice over the last six months; she had decent aim…but was by no means a sharp shooter.

Headlights reflected off the overhead signs that warned her of the freeway exits she would need as soon as she crossed the bridge. Kadence took in a deep breath, and slowly exhaled as the bridge came into sight….this was it. It was her phone that essentially scared her out of her daze, the high pitched ringtone echoing out around the car. She grumbled some choice words to herself and reached for the phone clipped to her side.

Bringing the screen up, it displayed a number she was all too familiar with. Kade rolled her eyes, nearly tempted to ignore the call, but not really seeing harm in answering it either. She slid her finger across with the answer key and put it up to her ear.

"I thought I told you not to call me on this line" she warned.

"And under normal circumstances I wouldn't…" the female voice on the other end had an English accent, but it was the panic in her voice that had a lump forming in Kade's throat.

"…and truthfully I'd be shot on sight if they found out I had contacted you"

"What is it?"

"Your father reported you rogue…"

Kade felt her blood turn to ice.

"…he gave them the communication recordings, he gave them everything…they also know you've contacted the FBI…there is a kill order on your head Kadence, you have to get out of the city…you have to go underground!"

"I'm already on it" Kade choked out, disconnecting the call and throwing the phone into the passenger seat.

She increased the pressure on the gas pedal to the point the engine had to switch gears, racing down the street like it was going to fall out from under her. Kade let loose a flurry of choice words, slamming her hand down against the steering wheel. As much as her mind was racing before, there was only one thing on it now…run.

Kadence didn't even remember how long she had been on the bridge, or even how fast she had been going, none of it mattered the moment the car was suddenly thrust forward; the jarring impact from the rear throwing her head into the steering wheel. She didn't have time to react before a second impact from the side forced her car into the side guardrail, slamming into a bracer beam.

Smoke began to billow out from the engine as Kade tried desperately to maintain consciousness. Her head was swimming and throbbing with pain at the same time, yet still she had only one goal, and that was to get the hell out of the car. She fumbled with the seatbelt for a second and grabbed for the door handle, haphazardly stumbling out of the wrecked vehicle. Kade heard indistinct shouting, and silhouettes appearing in front of obnoxiously bright headlights.

She stumbled back, trying to gain her footing, and reached for the gun at her side. No sooner had the weapon gotten un-holstered did a searing pain shoot through her right shoulder, seeming to echo out through her entire body. Her gun clattered to the ground and she reached for her shoulder, feeling a hot pool of liquid at the point of impact.

Suddenly her feet where no longer on the ground, and she watched in part horror as the bridge appeared above her, the distance between them growing so rapid, she barely registered that she was falling until her body went freezing cold…then everything went black.

Two men peered over the side, gazing down at the white after-splash where she landed; the younger of the two raising his gun over the side, aiming down at the water below.

"Don't bother…that impact would have knocked her unconscious, and with the water as cold as it is…she's as good as dead" the older one sneered.

The younger man exchanged quick glances between his counterpart and the water before he finally holstered his weapon and began walking back to the truck. The older man took one last look down and shook his head.

"Tsk, what a waste"

Kadence couldn't tell if she was dead or just dreaming. There was nothing she could use to determine either, simply because that's all she saw…nothing but sheer darkness. How long had it been since everything went black? She felt cold, that much she knew. Her body felt unbelievably heavy, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't breathe. Her lungs began to ache painfully and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears, but something was off…it was slowing down.

The burning in her lungs was dulled only by rhythmic holds of pressure on her chest. A warm feeling would close over her mouth, then disappear. The pressure would come back, then it was gone. Kade was convinced her lungs were going to explode if she didn't get air in them soon. That warm feeling came over her mouth again, and suddenly Kade felt something deep within her chest…it was cold…it was liquid…it was preventing her from breathing.

Pressure came down on her chest again, as if it was willing her to breathe, and with one final thrust, Kade felt the barrier in her lungs snap. Water came gushing up from her throat and out of her mouth as the world seemed to slam down around her; the pain followed with it. She nearly sat up, choking up water and desperately trying to clear her lungs as she sucked in air like a dying fish.

Her shoulder sung out in pain, and her head started swimming, reminding her that she had come in violent contact with a steering wheel some short time ago. A hand reached out for something, anything to ground her before she went careening off to space, and that hand finally came in contact with something metallic in nature. It had definition, some type of structure, and it moved, or rather recoiled when she grabbed it. She tried to focus enough to bring her gaze to whatever it was she had a hold of, but all she managed to distinguish was the figure of what she thought was a man…a man with dark hair.

Her body grew heavy again, much like her head as she fought for consciousness. Kade's efforts were in vain as she all but crash-landed right back into darkness.


	2. Chapter Two: Better Off Dead

_**I really can't say if all the chapters will be released this close together, but in any case, here ya go!**  
>**Just wanted to extend a thank you to those that have already readfollowed/reviewed, you guys are awesome!**_

**Chapter Two: Better Off Dead**

Kade never thought much on what dying felt like, but if she had to guess…this was it. A dull ache echoed out from her shoulder, reminding her that she had enough life left in her to feel pain. Her forehead seemed to be the source of her headache, and it was incredibly difficult to breathe. After coming to the disheartening conclusion that she was still alive, Kade managed to open her eyes.

The room was dark, and the small blacked out window above her did nothing in helping her figure out if it was night or day. Her tongue crept out, making an attempt to wet her parched lips before retreating into the confines of her mouth; followed by an instinctive action to swallow. Kade blinked several times, trying to clear her vision as she rolled her head to the side, taking in her surroundings.

It was a small space, barely enough to be called a bedroom, furnished with nothing but the bed she was on and a small nightstand beside her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she managed to make out a door on the opposite wall. Swallowing hard as if to muster up her strength, Kadence tested her ability to move, and the brief amount of movement she used to try and sit up was rewarded with a shock of agonizing pain that etched out from her shoulder and seemed to carve its way around her entire upper body.

A yelp of pain escaped her lips and she fell back down on the bed, her hand going for the wound, but stopping herself. Her arm began to tremble, whether from lack of strength or the aftershock of pain, it was hard to tell; all she could manage was trying to steady her breathing. The room started spinning again, and the memories of her ordeal came rushing back so quickly she felt like she was going to puke. Kade remembered the phone call from her source within HYDRA, warning her of her father's betrayal. She remembered getting attacked on the bridge, she remembered getting shot…and she remembered falling into the water below.

It was the sound of the door opening that brought her to the conclusion that she wasn't as alone as she originally thought. An overhead light came on above her, which did nothing for her pounding head, or her struggling vision. Kade squinted, against the light, blinking rapidly to gain focus on the dark figure that stood by the door. He strode across the room, heavy boots beating against the floor suggested military, or maybe heavy construction; dark pants and a matching vest. However, as he dropped a small duffle bag to the floor with a metallic clang, Kade looked up at him.

If she had any blood left, it had evacuated from her face. Her mouth went dry and she was sure if she did have anything on her stomach it would be on the floor. Kade took in his face, or at least the half she could see. Intense blue eyes staring back through dark brown strands of hair that had been parted on either side of his head. The nose down was concealed with a black face mask, vented for easy breathing; and there on his left…was the very metallic arm that counted him as a messenger of death.

For a brief moment, pain was easy to ignore as she came up from the bed, scooting as far back as she could. Her moment however, was far too short lived for her liking, and she wasn't sure what was worse, the fact her shoulder felt like it was going to just fall off, or that a murdering hell hound was looming over her.

She grit her teeth to keep from crying, whimpering like a wounded animal as she pushed herself as far into the wall as she could manage. He looked on, those eerie eyes seeming to hold no emotion at all, but that was to be expected; he had been conditioned long ago to have a lack of pity or sympathy. He reached behind him, pulling a small weapon that in her eyes, looked an awful lot like a handgun; aiming it at her. Her stomach churned and her heart lodged in her throat, her only movable arm extending toward him as a pleading gesture.

"No…please" she begged hoarsely, her own voice betraying her.

A sharp hiss echoed in her ears and a hot sting struck her in the stomach. Surely if she had been shot, it was much more bearable than the last time...and far less painful. Kade looked down, ready to see the gush of blood soaking through the front of her shirt, and only mildly taken aback by a neon blue tuft sticking out from the back end of a tranquilizer dart that was currently lodged in her abdomen. It took all of three seconds for her to gather a string of profane words along the edge of her tongue, although the effort to speak them became as difficult as it was to keep everything from going dark for a third time.

He watched her as she coiled away from him, like a dog that had been struck by its master. It sickened him, how easily people succumbed to their fear of him, just by looking at him; he blamed his reputation. However, her obvious fear of him would be an advantage. She had valuable information at her disposal, otherwise HYDRA wouldn't have wanted her dead, which meant if he wanted to get to HYDRA, he needed her alive…and judging by the amount of blood that had soaked through the front of her shirt, he was running out of time.

Bucky reached for the tranquilizer gun strapped to the back of his belt, and took aim. Her eyes went wide and that's when he noticed it. One as deep blue as the ocean…one a light chocolate brown. It took him by surprise, and he found himself hesitating, staring into those unique eyes of hers like he expected to find the answers to all his questions.

She reached out with her good arm, a pleading gesture he had seen on more than one occasion. Such a display was used when you wanted to lower your threat level toward another, as if a reminder that they were unarmed. It wasn't a tactic that every really worked with him. He pulled the trigger, and the dart stuck itself into her stomach. Strands of her hair feel in front of her face as she looked down, as if registering the fact she hadn't exactly been shot the way she was expecting.

The tranquilizer kicked in within seconds and just like that she was out cold. Bucky tossed to gun to the floor and reached down to grab her knees, yanking them forward to straighten her body back out. Harboring only a small amount of tenderness, he adjusted her upper body until her back was flat. He grabbed a handful of the blood soaked shirt and reached for his knife, stabbing into the material and cutting across with skilled precision. After cutting the rest of the shirt away, he tossed the cloth into the corner, jamming his knife into the nightstand for later use.

Bucky inspected the wound, seeing how the skin grew a darker red around the bullet-hole, signaling infection had already started. He swore under his breath and reached for the duffle bag, hastily unzipping it and rummaging through its contents. A bottle of alcohol, a scalpel, surgical tweezers, forceps, a stitching kit and several handfuls of gauze… the benefits of urgent care facilities with minimal security.

Delving into a side pocket, he pulled a syringe and a small vial full of liquid. He pulled the protective cap from the needle and jammed it into the lid, tipping them upright, drawing down on the plunger and filling the barrel with the preferred dosage. His metal hand took hold of her elbow, flipping it over to expose the inside of her arm, driving the needle into the first exposed vein he could find.

Even unconscious she managed to demonstrate her distaste for his bedside manner, inhaling sharply and contorting her face for a brief moment. Bucky ignored it and placed the now empty syringe on the table next to his knife. He opened the bottle of alcohol and poured it over the array of metal tools, waiting only a few seconds before taking a hold of the scalpel.

Kadence was sure of one thing, waking up sucked ten times worse when the unconsciousness is forced. Her headache was gone, but that didn't stop the room from feeling like it was about to tip over. She sucked on her tongue, trying to wet her parched mouth; no doubt a side effect of the tranquilizer. A pitiful groan came up from her chest as she tried to regain enough body strength to lift her head.

It didn't take her long to realize she had been moved. She was now seated in an old wooden chair, duct tape strapped around her wrists and ankles. The top half of her shirt was gone, leaving most of her chest exposed; including the packed gauze that had been taped to her shoulder. Kade practically rolled her head to the side, gazing at the bed and feeling a nauseated pull on her stomach. The sheets had bloodstains all over the side, and scattered across the floor where several metal tools, covered in blood. Bloodied folds of gauze lay strewn about the tools, making it seem like he had just finished open heart surgery on her.

Kadence let out a choked exhale and tried again to free herself, hissing in pain as she stretched her shoulder just a tad too much for comfort.

"I don't advise that" a deep voice warned.

She felt a chill race down her spine at the sound of his voice, her head snapping over to see him leaning casually against the wall next to the door. Her heart skipped a beat , and it urged her to fight against her restraints, wincing painfully at their hold; and the growing pain that was making itself present yet again in her shoulder.

"You break your stitches and I will sit back and watch you bleed" he growled, pushing himself from the wall and striding toward her.

Panic surged through her, and the sudden increase of adrenaline seemed to purge out any remaining tranquilizer left in her system. She tested at the restraints once more, but when he rewarded her with a stern glare, she ceased. Kade kept her eyes on him, following his every move until he knelt down in front of her, as if wanting to witness the exact moment she died.

He reached for his mask, abruptly removing it and sitting it on the nightstand, where his knife remained buried in the wood. Bucky saw only the slightest shift in her facial features when he looked back at her, his cold stare studying her. Even in her present condition, she wasn't hard to look at. She was average build for someone her size, not too skinny, not too heavy, seemingly perfect for lack of a better explanation. Supple breasts, flat stomach and creamy toned skin; dirty blonde hair and those entrancing eyes…she may have been one of the more attractive members of HYDRA he'd come across in years.

Kadence held her breath, afraid to breathe for a moment as he set his mask on the nightstand. She expected a distorted jaw or maybe a disfiguring scar to be the reason behind the mask. Of all the times she had seen him, whether on live feed or in an archive, he was never without the damned thing. The last thing she was expecting was the short stubble of a two day shadow against a strong jaw line and set chin. Even still, this man was responsible for far too many deaths to tally over a time span of fifty years…and that fact far outweighed the fleeting idea that he was presently easy on the eyes.

She swallowed hard, un-nerved by the silence between them.

"Are…are you gonna kill me?" she rasped.

"If I wanted you dead, I would have left you in the river to drown…" he retorted.

The statement was not very comforting in the grand scheme of things, but that didn't stop her from taking a silent sigh of relief.

"…Besides, you're worth much more to me alive" he finished, yanking the knife from the table.

Any amount of relief she had was gone in an instant, and her heart was right back up in her throat. It didn't matter even after he sheathed his blade and got to his feet, walking casually over to the door, she was being held captive by the last person on earth she ever wanted to be alone with…it was quite possibly the worst situation to ever be stuck in.

"What do you want from me?" she asked carefully.

He kept his back to her for a moment, as if contemplating his answer.

"You're going to help me take down HYDRA" he replied.

Kadence was taken aback by the answer, but confusion was the appropriate emotion at the time. He was HYDRA's trump card, their ace in the hole. The Winter Soldier had been a HYDRA member since the fifties, and Pierce's personal attack dog for the past twenty of them; on top of the fact he had been conditioned to obey orders at all cost…why the sudden change of attitude?

"How exactly…am I going to do that?" she asked, the rising fear coming out in her voice.

"You're smart…I'm sure you'll figure it out" he snipped, turning to face her.

She realized it was very difficult to keep calm when he looked at her like that…it was as if he was marking his target. The shaking in her body finally reached her jaw, where her teeth clattered against the surge of adrenaline. Kade flexed her jaw to steady her nerves, not even able to gather enough saliva to aid the dry feeling in her throat.

"Everything I knew about HYDRA, is now in the hands of the FBI…I'm of no use to you" she pleaded.

His jaw flexed to the side for a second, as if contemplating a response to her unwillingness to help; and she wondered how far out on the thin ice she could go before it caved. He huffed through his nose and she saw the slightest curve of his lip. It may have been a half-assed smirk, but it was enough to scare her.

"You really think I'm that stupid?" he growled.

The tone of voice send a chill down her spine, and suddenly she felt like a rabbit, trapped in a room with a rabid wolf. He came down too quick for her to realize, but when next she blinked, his face was mere inches from hers, his hands grasping her forearms with a grip that made her whine in protest; especially the one on her right. She silenced herself quickly, sucking in air through gritted teeth as if to shield off any sign of weakness.

He smelled of gunpowder and lead with a faint trace of the metallic scent of blood, and his eyes at this distance only had one word running through her mind…demon.

"Why else would HYDRA want you dead?" he questioned.

Kandence bit down on the inside of her lip, reluctant to answer him; there was a high probability she wasn't going to get out of this mess alive…she'd at least go down with dignity. He slowly pulled away, releasing her arms and eyeing her carefully as he began to walk toward the rear of the chair. She studied the bruising marks on her forearms, taking steady breaths to keep her teeth from chattering.

"You know things, things that HYDRA doesn't want getting out, and they will do anything it takes to keep their secrets…a secret"

"I told you already, I handed everything I know to the FBI. You want information, go talk to them" she snipped.

He huffed again, giving off the gesture he was amused by her defiance; but she was certain her little outburst just signed her death warrant.

"You're an analyst…am I right? I wonder how well you analysts are trained in retaining information during interrogation…"

Kade paled at the threat, her heart racing as her mind went in thousands of different directions.

"…because I'm going to bet that when I'm done with you…you're going to wish I left you in that river"

His bionic hand came down on her right shoulder, the digits curling to dig right down on her gauze pack. Kadence let out a howling scream as pain burst out from the wound, her whole body locking up in response to his grip.

"Tell me what you know" he hissed.

The grip tightened, and Kade saw stars, feeling the pressure start to give way to the stitches. At the rate he was going, he didn't just intend to break open her wound, but shatter her collarbone while he was at it. She was gritting her teeth hard enough to break them, and could practically feel the bones start to bruise and weaken under his hand.

"Okay!...Okay!" she begged, panting.

His grip loosened just enough, but he still kept his hold. Kadence composed herself as quickly as she could, knowing very well if she didn't start talking, he'd go right back to breaking her collarbone.

"Cut off one head…two more…take its place" she wheezed.

"I'm listening" he warned.

Kade swallowed hard, feeling his fingers twitch with anticipation of continuing his torture, should she not comply.

"When the U.S division fell…the next most powerful division took head of the organization"

"Which one?"

His grip loosened again, a reward for her answer no doubt.

"Russia"

"Where are they?"

"I don't know"

He drove his fingers back into her skin, forcing a scream from her lips.

"I'm telling you the truth, I don't know!"

"You're lying"

She felt the pressure of the stitching pop beneath his grip, and her blood felt like it was burning her skin as it oozed from beneath his fingers.

"Even at my level, analysts are disposable, they don't tell us anything!...but I can find out!"

If he loosened his grip at all, she couldn't tell. Her head was swimming, nausea pooled at her stomach, and the room started to spin again.

"I…I can try to…hack the signal…trace their patches…their IP will…pinpoint their location" she breathed.

The sound of his boots against the floor was dulled out by the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears. She lost the strength to sit up, and slumped over in the chair, desperate to level her breathing before she passed out; watching the blood drip down from her shoulder.

"I told you, you were worth more to me alive" he stated.

His voice sounded like it was in the next room, and her heartbeat seemed to be getting louder. When he grabbed her again, he was surprisingly gentle, cradling her chin from behind to lift her head, tilting it to the side. Kade felt a pinch against her neck, and a warm feeling blossom from the point of entry.

Darkness took her once again, and part of her wished it would be permanent this time. He wasn't lying when he told her that he'd make her wish he left her to drown. Kade was convinced she'd be better off dead.


	3. Chapter Three: Plans Change

_**Next chapter may be a bit delayed, I'm working some crazy hours next couple of days, but I'll get it posted as soon as I can**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Three: Change Of Plans**

Birds. She wasn't sure if the sound of birds is what woke her up, or if that was just the first thing her mind processed when consciousness finally began to flow through her. Kade opened her eyes slowly, seeing that the darkened room had illuminated ever so slightly since she last saw it; giving her the clear indication that it was daylight outside. Little by little, the rest of her body seemed to stir awake as she shifted and tested the stability of her muscles, surprised at how easy it was to move; but with that ability…came the memories still hot on her mind before she passed out.

Her eyes snapped open and she shot up into a sitting position, her head darting in every possible direction, scanning the room for any possible sign of him; fixating on the chair in the center of the room…the duct tape still hanging from the arms. Kade's heart went into her throat and her stomach churned violently, ghosting pain echoing out from her shoulder. She looked down, seeing that the torn and bloody shirt she was wearing before was gone, replaced with a dark gray one that practically swallowed her small frame.

She reached over, pulling the right sleeve up to expose a small pink scar where the wound had been. Disbelief washed over her as her fingers tested at the scar rewarded with a dull spike of pain against the point of pressure. It was still tender, but otherwise healed. Confusion took its root for only a moment before she rolled the sleeve back down and did one more scan of the room, still not convinced he wasn't going to just appear out of thin air like he had done.

Her eyes zeroed in on the door and the urge to go bolting out it was almost difficult to reign. When it came to fight or flight scenarios, she usually took the latter, given her hand to hand combat experience was nearly non-existent. Inhaling deeply to level her erratic breathing, she pushed her legs off the side of the bed, surprised she was still wearing her converse sneakers.

Standing up on her own wasn't as difficult as she imagined it being, but it still took her a minute to regain her center of balance. Kade exhaled slowly, taking a step forward, putting care into her footing against the wood floor. Her hands closed over the brass door knob, holding it securely as she slowly turned it. A rush of fresh air gushed by her as she opened the door, and the sigh of relief that escaped her was drowned out by the cramping growl of her stomach when she caught the scent of food…it smelled absolutely divine at the moment.

Kade bit down on her lip to distract her stomach, as if reminding it that she had more pressing issues at hand. Faint sounds coming from somewhere within the house had her heart rate increasing and she pulled the door open just a little more. The old hinges let out a squeak and she held her position, determining that she could slip through the gap with no issue to avoid any more noise.

She kept her footfalls slow and tender as she came out of the room and onto the bannister of a second floor; checking both left and right for any sign of movement. Determining that the sounds were coming from the lower floor, she made her way toward the stairs directly to the right, praying that the flooring wouldn't betray her.

It seemed to take ages at her pace before she reached the stairs, and she saw the front door only a few feet from the bottom step. Her problem however was the entryway to the kitchen on the right, which judging by the sounds, is where he was…if she wanted out…she had to get past the guard dog. Kade lowered her foot down on the first step and a high pitched creak came out from beneath it. She froze, her whole body tingling as her eyes set on the kitchen entry, prepared to see him flying around the corner to stop her. Whatever he was doing seemed to hold his attention, for what seemed like hours later, she relaxed enough to go down another step.

Memories of childhood bounced around her head, recalling the times she would sneak down into the kitchen to steal a snack in the middle of the night, and use just as much stealth to avoid waking her parents. Yet, as she reached the bottom step, it was clear that this situation was much more dire than before. It wasn't her parents she was sneaking away from…it was a cold blooded killer.

Now flat on the floor, she made her way to the kitchen entry, flattening her back against the wall and peeking around slowly. He had his back to her, concentrating on the stove, still dressed the way he was last time but this time she could clearly see the arsenal of weapons he had strapped to his body, his metal arm exposed all the way to the shoulder. Kade's heart went into her throat and she flattened herself to the wall, clamping her right hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet.

She took a second to compose herself, eyeing the door with ears trained on the sounds of something crackling in the skillet. Taking a deep breath she mustered up all the courage she could and made a silent creep for the door. Flattening her body against it, she took a ragged exhale, and reached for the deadbolt with unsteady hands. Fear was overtaking her, the fear of being caught when she was so close to freedom.

Shaking the entire time, she slowly turned the bolt, flinching when it clicked loose. She moved to the door handle, turning the dial to unlock it, then wrapped her fingers around the handle, twisting it slowly. A soft creak came from the hinges as the pressure released around her, bringing the door open inch by inch. She wanted to cry as relief came over her, her freedom was only three steps away.

The good feelings were gone in an instant when a force came up from behind her, slamming the door shut and effectively pinning her to it. Kade let loose a surprised squeak and braced herself, knowing at this point, trying to struggle free was only going to make things worse. His body was solid against her, and she felt his breath at her ear.

"Nice try" he growled, obviously less than pleased.

His body made itself vacant but a painful grip came over her upper right arm, practically dragging her into the kitchen. Survival instincts kicked in, which was the only reason she felt the need to fight him; although any effort to resist his pull proved null and void.

"You're hurting me, let go!" she spat, clawing at the metal arm that dragged her along.

He ignored her, stopping at a small table and all but throwing her into a chair placed on one side of it. She glowered at him, but held her place nevertheless, not wanting to make things worse…she seemed to be making a habit of testing his patience. As he went back to the stove, she glanced down at the table, her heart falling into her stomach as she took in the multitude of weaponry in front of her. Several handguns and an assault rifle were broken down across the table, no doubt for cleaning, including the small dart gun he used on her…which appeared to be loaded.

Kade's attention was disrupted when he dropped a plate in front of her, topped with the very source of the smell that had her stomach growling earlier…still steaming from the skillet. Part of her wanted to wolf down the offering in order to satisfy the churning emptiness, but given his reputation…she hesitated.

"What's this?" she questioned.

"Breakfast" he stated, taking a seat across from her with his own plate.

"What's in it?"

He looked up at her, and she didn't bother hiding the distrust in her eyes.

"Eggs" he retorted, stabbing his fork into the food and shoving it into his mouth.

Kade gave him a soured look, unimpressed with his sarcasm.

"Well considering you've drugged me twice already, you'll have to forgive me for being a little weary"

"I dosed you as a necessity, you have no problem losing consciousness because you haven't eaten…you need to eat"

"I wouldn't lose consciousness so easily if someone wouldn't make it their mission to break my bones with their bare hands" she snipped.

He brushed off her retort and went back to his food, leaving her to stare questionably at her own plate. Her stomach cramped painfully at her indecision, letting loose a low grumble. Kade sighed and picked up the fork next to her plate, scooping up a small clump of eggs and gingerly raising it to her mouth. The flavor that invaded her taste-buds wasn't what she was expecting, in fact it was the exact opposite. She tasted egg, but it was overcooked and bland.

Hiding the grimace was a difficult feat enough without the effort it was taking to finish chewing. She swallowed, sucking on her tongue in hopes to get rid of the after taste; casually stabbing at the eggs on her plate. Her hunger was far from satisfied, but even with that, she couldn't will herself to finish it. Kade tapped her fork on the plate quietly, and she felt the slightest itch on her shoulder with the pull of muscles.

"What did you do to me?..." she asked.

Blue eyes raised to meet hers but he never stopped chewing, urging her to elaborate on her question.

"…This kind of healing takes two weeks at a minimum…what did you do?"

His attention was brought back to his plate, taking another mouthful of food. Kadence grimaced, convinced this man had to be superhuman if he could stomach that foul mess.

"An accelerated healing serum that HYDRA developed a few years back…it's only temporary so I don't advise putting yourself in front of a bullet any time soon. Quit stalling and eat, you need your strength…we're leaving for Russia tonight"

If she had any appetite before, it was gone now.

"What?"

He ignored her, taking another mouthful of eggs. Kadence dropped her fork and sat up straight in the chair, concern and part panic etching over her face.

"Look, I know I said I could hack their network to trace the IP…but do you have any idea the kind of computer that takes without getting detected!? Something like that needs to be built, engineered, encrypted, it requires codes, algorithms…you can't just walk into Wal-Mart and buy something like that! And encase you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have access to my old equipment…"

He straightened his back, and stared her down, and Kade wasn't sure on whether he was merely taking this in, or entertaining the idea of killing her.

"…I can get you the names of hundreds of Russian analysts who have access to what you need, and can do it ten times better than me"

The silence that followed was deafening, and she watched as he just finished chewing, and swallowed; bearing that cold smirk.

"You sell yourself short. You honestly think that I just randomly came across you and fished you out of that river? I've been keeping an eye on you for days…"

Kadence paled and her stomach disappeared.

"…Considering HYDRA still sees me as an active asset, I have unrestricted access to all of their agent records, yours included…and you have quite the resume…Kadence…"

Her name rolled off his tongue so easily it sent chills up and down her spine, and she didn't know what was worse, the fact he's been spying on her for days, or the fact he's known who she was the entire time.

"…you are the youngest senior analyst ever recruited by HYDRA. Your father is chief analyst, and while he's taught you everything you need to know, your skills have now far exceeded his, eventually earning you the cyber name Jester…you're capable of a lot more than you're letting on. If I wanted a Russian analyst, I'd go get one…but I don't need one, when I have you at my disposal…"

She couldn't explain the unrelenting urge to punch him in the mouth at that point, regarding her as a disposable asset was just an insult she couldn't handle. It was bad enough HYDRA saw her as that…she didn't need it from him too.

"…We're sticking to the plan, I get you to Russia…you get me to HYDRA…now…eat"

He went back to his food like the conversation they just had was a normal as asking for the time. Kadence was willing to blame the rising anger for her sudden swell of bravery as her eyes fell to the dart gun nearby. A fleeting gesture suggested that the course of action she was currently planning bordered on the imbecilic, but she was not about to be drug halfway around the world to satisfy a grudge.

"Plans change" she hissed.

With speed she didn't know she had, Kade grabbed the dart gun, aimed at him and fired just as he looked up to question her sudden comment; an action that followed with a dart lodged in his neck.

"Ah, god damn it!" he howled, recoiling back.

She didn't bother relishing in her lucky aim, before she went vaulting out of the chair and bolting for the front door. Kadence slung the wooden door open and all but leapt down the three steps and onto a sidewalk, taking a moment to adjust her balance before taking off, running as fast as her legs would carry her.

It didn't matter if she had been running for five minutes or five hours, her lungs hurt, her legs hurt and her head started swimming; her stomach twisting painfully…reminding her she still needed to eat if she didn't want to black out. The sound of her sneakers against the sidewalk slowed to a stop and she doubled over, resting her hands on her knees to hold herself up, panting heavily. Sweat dripped from her forehead, making it obvious she didn't make a habit of physical activity; but when you potentially had a killer on your tail…it was motivation enough.

Kade took a deep breath and stood up straight, exhaling slowly to make sure she didn't fall right back over. She glanced around, looking for anything that looked familiar. It was a downtown setting, and not the most favorable of neighborhoods by the looks of it. Her eyes fell on a street sign nearby and the rise of delight bubbled up into her chest.

Virginia Avenue.

She was still in DC. While that news wasn't exactly the best in the world, it meant that there was a chance she could still reach her car…providing the HYDRA agents didn't push it over the bridge along with her. Kadence checked her pockets, and nearly cried out with joy to find her fake I.D, a credit card and a ten dollar bill still jammed in her back pocket where she left it.

A cheeseburger had never tasted so good, as she did her best not to just swallow the damn thing whole. Eating and walking was a lot easier since her stomach had time to process food, and she was already feeling ten times better than she had been over the past few days. Taking one final bite as she turned the street corner, her attention was brought to the very sign she had been looking for since she grabbed food…city impound.

Crumbling the wrapper in her hand and tossing it in the nearby trashcan she strode toward the front entrance, choking down her last bite and quickly composing herself; trying not to look like a criminal on the run. Kade strolled up to the guard shack, clearing her throat to gain the attention of the man inside, who seemed otherwise occupied with the Playboy magazine he was nose deep in just seconds earlier.

"Can I help you?" he asked, nervously stuffing the magazine under the desk.

"Uh, yea…I was uh…in an accident a few days ago…and I think they brought my car here"

"Your name on the registration?"

"Yes, Wood…Tiffany Wood" she replied, wondering how it got so easy to use her alias.

He turned to type the info into his computer. Kadence glanced around, trying her best not to act suspicious, but keeping a look out for anyone that may look like they're ready to put a bullet in her head. HYDRA wasn't so much on that list as a particular metal armed man was...and after her little stunt in the kitchen, he'd most likely make it slow and painful once he regained consciousness.

"Make and model?" he asked, snapping her back to reality.

"Oh, uh, 2012 Honda Civic…black…four door"

"Yep, it's here"

Finally, things were looking in her favor.

"Thank god. I don't suppose I can…get my things out of it at least?"

He scowled at her, raising his eyebrow questionably.

"Please, that's all I want to do…I have some…irreplaceable things in that car that I really, really, _really_…need back"

He sighed heavily, and Kade figured no harm in giving him a partial pout. She may have not been a master spy…but she still knew how to utilize her innocent feminine charm.

"I.D" he stated.

Kadence reached for her back pocket, fishing out her license and handing it to him. He glanced over it, looked at her, then back at the I.D before handing it back to her.

"Alright, use the door to the left and follow me" he instructed.

"Thank you so much!" she breathed, not bothering to hide the skip in her step as she made her way to the side door.

She followed him through what seemed like a maze of cars, most of them intact, the others bearing some kind of body damage; one of them barely even qualifying as a car anymore. They rounded one more corner and Kade paused for a second, taking in the sight of her vehicle. It looked a hell of a lot worse than she was expecting. The back bumper was destroyed, and pushed halfway into her backseat, while the passenger side front fender had been crushed so far inward it looked like half the engine was gone…it amazed her she survived that.

"Sad to say, you won't be driving it out of here…or anytime soon for that matter…insurance company already assessed the damage…she's totaled" he stated.

"Yea…I see that" she breathed, slowly walking toward it.

Memories of that night came flooding back to her. The jarring impact of both vehicles that pushed her into the support beam, the shouting, the smoke…the shooting; her heart rate skipped at the thought of it. A ghosting pain throbbed in her shoulder, where the scar of the bullet made its mark, and she resisted the urge to hold it; making her way to the passenger door…or at least what was left of it.

He stood back, giving her distance it seemed while she pried the door open; sighing with relief to see her laptop bag resting on the floorboard. She scooped it up and slung it over her shoulder, then leaned in to dig through the center console.

"I can't say it's the worst I've seen, but it's nasty nonetheless" he commented.

"Yea, I had a run in with something…rather big" she remarked, fishing a small silver phone and stuffing it into her pocket.

"Given this kind of damage…I'm surprised they released you from the hospital"

"Oh you know, a few bumps and bruises never killed anybody" she stated, sifting through the glove-box until she had hold of a small green flash drive.

"Maybe…but a bullet and tumble over the bridge should have"

Kade went rigid, and suddenly it was difficult to breathe; but that may have been because it felt like her heart was lodged in her throat. She slowly came out of the car, and turned to face the guard, who now had a gun trained on her. Several choice words crossed her mind and she eyed for any possible means of cover that would be only a quick dive away. Her hopes were crushed, wondering if that was their intention all along, isolating her car in the back so if she did survive, it would be easy to just kill her for sure.

"You should have stayed dead" he sneered.

A gunshot echoed out, startling her, but the pain she was expecting to follow, never came. Instead, she watched in part horror as half the guard's head seemed to explode, spraying blood, bone, and brain matter all over the place. His body careened sideways and hit the ground with a low thud…motionless. Kade was frozen in fear, unable to get her legs to work no matter how hard she willed them to move.

It wasn't until another shot rang out and the bullet struck her car not inches from where she stood that she snapped out of her trance, scrambling backward so quickly she nearly fell. Kadence bolted off into the maze of the impound, hoping to use the cover of the cars until she escaped.

Her hands were still shaking as she struggled to put the SIM card into the silver phone. She glanced around, trying to keep her face obscured by the blue hoodie she had purchased twenty minutes ago; a last ditch effort to keep herself hidden. People bustled all around her, utilizing the strip mall for shopping sprees and convenient vanity purchases. Kadence, however, was using it to blend it…hoping to avoid a sniper that obviously wanted her dead.

"Couldn't have just let the FBI take you in, could you?...had to go off on your own" she muttered to herself.

Finally sliding the card inside, she pushed the back cover on and turned the phone on, scanning her surroundings again while she waited for the device to boot up; her legs fidgeting the entire time. She had been working for HYDRA for ten years, and while death was a part of their grand plan, as a computer analyst, she was never directly exposed to it…until now.

The image of his head caving in like an overly ripe watermelon was something she wouldn't soon forget, and the odds of it haunting her dreams, was very high. What worried her more was the identity of the shooter. The guard was an agent, which meant HYDRA didn't fire it. S.H.I.E.L.D was a possibility, and any of their people had every reason to go after her if they knew who she really was, but their agents had scattered to the wind. FBI was ruled out…they would have taken them both alive. Her thoughts landed back to one person, time and time again…and that fact concerned her.

He had a tranquilizer dart buried in his neck last she saw him, and it took her only two hours to find the impound…there was no way in hell he recovered that quickly AND managed to find her in time to take roost…or at least she hoped.

With the phone booted, she pressed a serious of buttons, accessing a code to ensure the phone stayed secure. Kade slid off the chair she was perched on, waiting for the code to take effect as she made her way through the crowd, knowing well enough to not stay in one place for very long when you had crosshairs on your back. As the screen flashed with a prompt saying "secure", she ducked down a side ally and dialed a phone number she never thought she'd need to call.

"Please work…please work" she mumbled, hearing momentary silence on the receiver.

Some seconds later, a female voice chimed into her ear.

"Line secure"

"Thank you" she breathed, as the line began to ring.

It only rang twice before a man answered on the other line.

"Hello?"

"Mitch…I don't suppose you have a minute to talk alone do you?" she asked quietly.

He was silent for a brief second, then responded.

"Yea, sure mom…gimmie a second"

A cover, no doubt she caught him at a bad time…or with bad company, one of the two. She heard him cover the phone with his hand, mumbling something about his mother, and then walking…then a door closing.

"Kade?"

"The one and only…for now anyway" she remarked, trying to make light of her current situation.

"Have you lost your mind!? You are listed as terminated and deceased, do you have any idea what they'll do to either of us if they find out you contacted me!?" he hissed.

She expected him to be upset, he had a lot more to lose than she did if HYDRA did realize he was in communication with a rogue.

"Calm down, do you really think I'm that stupid!? I put an encrypted SIM in a burner phone and secured the line, they can't trace it"

He sighed heavily, and she only imagined him pacing the floor like a man on the phone with a girlfriend claiming to be pregnant.

"Look, I don't know who else to call…but I need help, and you know I wouldn't call for that unless it was important" she stated, slowly walking down the alleyway.

"Kade…if this was any other circumstance I would…but I cannot put my family at risk…I won't"

"You don't have to, that's not the kind of help I'm asking for"

"Then what are you asking for?"

"I need you to book your _mother_, a flight from DC to Chicago"

"Chicago? What the hell is in Chicago?"

"Considering the parameters of this conversation, the less you know the better" she replied, turning on her heel and slowly walking toward the sidewalk.

"How soon do you need it?"

"Yesterday would be fantastic"

"I'll see what I can do…but you should know that you're listed as deceased…they won't be looking for you"

"HYDRA may be convinced I'm dead for the time being, but there is someone else who is very much aware that I'm not"

"Who?"

"It's best you don't know that either…all I can tell you is that the further I am away from him the-"

Her sentence was cut short when a strong arm snaked its way around her waist, yanking her back into a solid form. She wasn't given a chance to scream before another hand came over her face, forcing a cloth over her mouth and nose. Her instinctive gasp for air turned out to be just what her attacker wanted as she breathed in whatever had been put it the cloth; she vaguely recalled it having a sweet smell. Her head spun violently, her body went numb, and then everything went black.


	4. Chapter Four: Pushing Your Luck

_**Apologies in advance for this being a short chapter, I swear I'm not going to make a habit of it**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Four: Pushing Your Luck**

If her eyes were open, it was impossible to tell. It was pitch dark, wherever she was, and her head was throbbing as bad as the morning after her 21st birthday, it had been a long time since she had gotten drunk enough to induce a hangover, but that made the feeling no less easy to recognize. Kade made one determination…she was really tired of getting drugged.

She shifted, playing for muscle reaction, her elbows bumping against hard confining siding. It was then that she realized her wrists were bound rather painfully, and upon groaning she felt a tightly bound cloth jammed into her mouth. At this point, however, what was worrying her the most was that there was practically no light coming in. Kade reached her hand up slowly, meeting with a cushioned stop barely a foot up.

Fisting her hands together she tapped against the cushion forcefully, hearing a low wooden echo ring out. Movement that slid down from the base of her throat brought her attention to something that fell beside her shoulder. She struggled with her position to retrieve the object, searching the darkness with her hands before her fingers wrapped around something small, metallic, and cylindrical in shape.

Her thumb found the rubbery end of the device and hesitantly pressed down, hearing the distinctive click as suddenly her confines were filled with light. The moment her eyes adjusted, and took in her surroundings, her heart sank and panic surged through her. A white cascade prevented her from seeing anything from the waist down, and the pillowed texture that surrounded her on all sides made one clear verdict…she was in a casket. Kadence's breathing became erratic and she clawed at the piece of cloth jammed in her mouth, pulling it free.

"Hey!...Somebody!" she shouted, beating her hands against the roof of the casket.

Silence followed, save for the beating of her hands.

"Please…somebody help!...Can you hear me!?...Please!"

The desperation in her voice was obvious, but as her breathing accelerated, she felt herself getting dizzy. Panic and fear made it seem like her space was getting smaller by the second. She did what she could to increase the amount of force behind her hands, hitting hard enough to bruise her knuckles.

"Please, somebody help!" she cried, tears starting to stream down the sides of her face.

In an instant the lid was slung back and her eyes stung with the sudden intrusion of light, but there he was, standing over her, looking down with those blue eyes…not so much as a hint of pity. He reached down and grabbed her forearm, yanking her up enough for his other hand to slide a blade across the zip tie binding her wrists, breaking her free and then letting her go.

Kadence kicked and thrashed with the least amount of grace imaginable, but she didn't care, she just wanted out. As she crawled over the side and on to the cold concrete floor, she struggled for air, taking ragged gasps for breath in between choked sobs as tears fell from her cheeks.

"You…asshole…you're…a fucking…asshole!" she spat.

She managed to crawl a few feet away before her body just failed her, laying on the floor, nearly in full fetal, sobbing and gasping. He said nothing as he walked toward her, dropping a small bag wrapped tank next to her and all but jamming an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. She pressed her hand over it and swatted him away, wanting nothing to do with him at all. Kade took deep breaths, her body shivering from the occasional sob.

Kade glared at him, but he glared right back, flexing his jaw and resting his hand on the gun strapped to his side. It took her several minutes before the sobbing ceased and she could breathe normally again. Tossing the mask to the floor, she lifted herself up onto her hip, still bracing herself with shaky arms.

"Please…please don't ever do that again" she whimpered.

He took a step for her and leaned down, taking a fist full of her hair and yanking her head back to look at him. His face was inches from hers, and the gesture alone scared her. Kade winced and sucked in air through her teeth, her hands playing at his in hopes to loosen his grip.

"You pull a stunt like that again…and next time you wake up in that thing, it will be underground" he growled.

She nodded quickly, accepting his threat as genuine. The look in his eyes was nothing to the anger that seemed to be radiating from him. Kade didn't need any more convincing…she was truly pushing her luck.

"Let's go" he hissed, practically dragging her along by her hair.

Her mad scramble to follow along made her feel even less graceful than before, as she tried her best to hold back the pained cries. He dragged her into another room, just as bleak as the last. Concrete floors, grey brick walls and a grungy shower tub along the far wall…clearly a sad excuse for a bathroom. Dragging her all the way up to the tub, he nearly slung her into it, throwing her upper body over the side. Kade didn't have a chance to move before she felt his knee draw over the back of her shoulders, pressing her into the tile siding rather painfully.

She cried out in pain, trying to press her hands into the side and gain a little breathing room before he cracked a rib. Her efforts failed miserably, but that didn't stop her from trying. Suddenly he yanked her hair tie free and she felt a thick liquid pour over the back of her head, soaking through her hair and some of it dripping down into the bottom of the tub with the consistency of old motor oil…and judging by the smell…she wouldn't put it past him if that's exactly what it was.

His hands were back in her hair again, but this time it was as if he was kneading the liquid into her scalp…and being none too gentle about it. She was thankful that at least he was doing this with his human hand, but the roughness made her wonder if he intended on pulling her hair out.

"The hell are you doing!?" she hissed, releasing the tile siding and reaching back to grab his arm.

He ignored her, and her grip on his arm was obviously doing nothing. More liquid got added to the mix, and the smell was making her gag. His hands swept down, scooping up the strands that draped over her face, and rolled them into the mix. His grip returned, once again using her hair to yank her head back. She let out a pained cry, still trying to free herself.

"Leave that in for twenty minutes, then rinse it out" he instructed, throwing her head down.

Kade crumbled to the floor, sloppy, soaking wads of her hair stuck to the side of her face. She picked a matted clump between her fingers, studying the mess.

"Is this hair dye!?...are you fucking kidding me!?" she screamed.

Her only response was him slamming the door shut as he left her curled up next to the tub.


	5. Chapter Five: Show A Little Respect

_**Just want to say thank you to those that have been reading and following, I'm really feeling the love*_

_**Extending a big thank you to those that have posted reviews, it means so much to me knowing that you guys are liking the story**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Five: Show A Little Respect**

The reflection staring back at her displayed only a portion of the seething anger running through her veins. She continued to towel off her hair, the once dirty blonde locks now a jet black and looking positively destroyed. Kade wasn't the type that made much fuss over her hair, but this was just downright horrid, and she was convinced it would take an entire bottle of conditioner to repair the damage.

The gray shirt now bore black stains all over the shoulders and halfway down her back. Even her jeans had splatters soaked into the material. Residue of the dye still lingered on her face and neck, the skin reddened from the scrubbing she did trying to get it off. Kade grumbled a few choice words under her breath and turned on her heel, yanking open the door and storming out with the towel draped over her head.

She stopped short of the doorway, catching him out of the corner of her eye. He was leaning against the wall, one foot propped back against it, arms folded across his chest and that cold, blank stare piercing right through her. Kade didn't care if she came close to a death sentence before, she was utterly livid with him. With a snap of the wrist, she yanked the towel down, exposing her mass of black hair for him.

"There…happy?" she snipped.

Barely a step away from him she felt a hand take a firm hold of her forearm, stopping her short. She wheeled toward him, glowering at him, but he stood there, unaffected, holding up a pair of crude scissors with the other hand. She lost the ability to speak for a second, still processing what he was implying.

"Hell no"

"Would you rather me do it?" he warned.

Her jaw flexed powerfully as she grit her teeth together. Surely this day was going to hell in a handbasket far too quickly for her liking. Growling irritably she snatched the scissors from his hand and stormed back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. He already made a mess of her hair the first go, she was not about to sit there and let him sheer her.

"Shoulder length, and don't take all day about it" he advised from the other side of the door.

She contemplated bursting through the door and stabbing him with the very scissors she had a death grip on…but the realist in her warned that was not likely going to turn out the way she imagined it in her head. Kade took a steady breath, taking a handful of hair, and raising the scissors.

Kade took a deep drag from the cigarette between her lips, the first act of kindness he's shown her in days. Clamping the cigarette between her fingers, she moved it down to rest at the table, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. She looked down, seeing her hand still trembling, whether from anger or the remnants of her panic attack, she couldn't tell; either way…the cigarette wasn't helping in the least. Short strands of hair danced around either side of her face, reminding her of the brutality she was forced into. Huffing through her nose, she pressed the cherry down into the table, watching as the last bits of smoke trail up around her hand. Kade looked over at her other hand, grumbling with discontent at the handcuffs that restrained her to a small pipe routing up from the floor; obviously he wasn't taking any more chances.

The bathroom door opened, and she snapped her eyes toward him as he walked toward the table; her attempted glare failed when her lungs just seemed to stop working. His armored top was gone, leaving his torso completely exposed to her view. Rock solid muscles etched over his abdomen, chest and even in his arms. His tanned skin was flawless, save for the jagged scarring that outlined the metal plating of his left arm.

His facial hair had been shaved down, but not completely gone, and he seemed to take the scissors to his hair as well. His shoulder length hair was gone, cropped up to the ears, and most of it turned over to rest naturally on the right side of his face. He strode by her like it was normal behavior for him, reaching into his duffle bag next to the table and fishing out a long sleeve shirt.

Kade had to shake her head to snap herself out of the daze she drifted into, reminding herself that one, she was still upset with him, and two, he was a cold hearted killer that was likely going to murder her when she'd served her purpose.

"Here" he snipped, tossing a handful of clothes in her direction.

She flinched instinctively as the clothing all but landed on top of her. Kade identified a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt and her blue zip up hoodie within the pile, then looked up at him with an annoyed glare.

"Can't do shit handcuffed to a pipe" she sang, shaking her wrist.

He let out an exasperated sigh and strode over to her, reaching for the small set of keys stored in his back pocket. He fumbled with them for a moment, but finally released the lock, setting her free. She abruptly got to her feet, balling up her change of clothes and heading for the bathroom. The sight of the casket in the corner of the room made her stop, the event still fresh on her mind.

"Was the casket really necessary?" she asked, wheeling around to face him.

He had already gone back to his bag, pulling out a large leather jacket before he turned to her. His eyes glanced over at the casket, then back at her.

"I needed a way to sneak you into the country without question, and the only way to do that would be if I'm escorting the dead to be buried in their homeland. So yes…it was necessary"

"Wait…_into_ the country?...just where the hell are we?"

"Polkslav, Russia" he replied.

Kade couldn't find words if she tried, and instead she merely turned on her heel, walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Her eyes were fixated out the passenger side window of the S.U.V, watching the landscape as it zipped by. Arms folded across her chest with her knees tucked firmly against herself, her feet pushed against the dashboard to hold herself in place. The heater was cranked all the way up and she was still sitting there shivering, wanting nothing more than to be back at that run down garage near the airport; at least it was warmer back there.

Bucky, however, was unaffected by the cold. He wondered if it was just the time he spent in these very mountains that made him immune, or the consistent sentencing to the cryo tubes. He glanced over at her, watching her shake like a leaf in her seat. Pity was the first thing that came to mind, surprisingly enough, but he only assumed it. Seventy plus years of being conditioned not to feel such an emotion leaves one wondering what it feels like when you finally get to use it again.

He reached over, his hand going to for the glove box below her feet. She flinched violently, her eyes fixating on him with extreme caution. Bucky didn't want to admit that her reactions made him feel downright awful. Truthfully he could have been a little less rough with her in the beginning, and locking her in a casket may have been a tad excessive, but she was HYDRA after all…he couldn't take any chances.

After his hands found their target, he pulled the package and slammed the glove box shut, and reseated himself. Her eyes never left him, displaying her obvious distrust. He did his best to ignore her scrutinizing glare, pushing his knees into the bottom of the steering wheel to keep them on the road as his hands tore the plastic wrapper open with ease, fishing out a strip of jerky. After sticking the jerky between his teeth he freed up his left hand to retake the steering wheel, offering the open bag to her with the other.

Kade's eyes danced between the bag and him before hesitantly reaching into it and snagging a small piece. As she retreated with her so called reward, he tossed the bag between his legs and proceeded to chew on his. She did nothing but stare at the dried meat in her hands, her attention seeming to be pulled out the window again.

"We'll be in Moscow by tonight, this is just to tide us over"

No response from the female.

"I know you're hungry, I can hear your stomach growling from over here" he stated.

Her entire head snapped in his direction, glaring at him through an obvious blush. Inside he wanted to laugh, but he remained stoic.

"I call bullshit" she grumbled.

"Call it what you want, I have better hearing than most"

She rolled her eyes at him, finally taking a bite of her jerky; though her watched her struggle with it.

"I doubt that" she grumbled through gnawing teeth.

"If not, then you need a lesson in stealth…you weren't exactly quiet trying to sneak out of the house"

"If that's the case…then why didn't you stop me sooner?" she asked snidely, finally breaking a piece into her mouth.

"I wanted to see what you'd do"

"You are so full of shit"

He couldn't hide the smirk that came across his lips, tearing off another piece with pure ease.

"You knew who I was the second you saw me…you know exactly what I'm capable of"

"Correction, yes I knew who you were, but at the time I had any interest in how you came about, your file was classified, and only accessible to those with proper clearance…"

She went silent for a moment, her grip on her jerky making her knuckles go white. After swallowing what was in her mouth, she pulled her eyes out the window again.

"The first time I saw you…I was 16, and I was accompanying by father in Berlin. You were coming in for a mission report…and it was like…the moment you walked in, the air just left. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move…and then you looked at me…"

He heard her voice starting to break, and Bucky wondered if her new wave of shaking wasn't just because of the cold; the mood was taking a drastic turn south.

"…you looked dead at me, and I will honestly admit, I had never been more petrified in my life. I remember telling my father, after we had left, that I was scared of you…and you know what he said?...he said I shouldn't be…that you were going to pave the way for HYDRA…for world peace...I guess by the time I was able to look into you, I had no interest. Everything they ever told me was a lie…all of it"

She lowered her head, taking a longing look at the jerky; her appetite gone. Silence radiated from inside the vehicle, and Bucky shifted in his seat; taking in her words.

"So are you still scared of me?" he asked solemnly.

Kade was silent for a moment, as if mustering the courage to answer him.

"No" she replied, her voice wavering; he could tell she was lying.

"Wrong answer" he growled.

Without warning he slung the steering wheel to the right, yanking the vehicle off into the snow-capped brush. A startled squeak came out from her mouth as she braced herself in the seat, getting jarred around nonetheless.

"What the hell!?" she hissed.

He slammed on the brakes, and the SUV came to a skidding halt. Leaving the vehicle running, he thrust the door open, striding around to her side with a look of pure rage etched on his face. Utterly terrified by the sudden change of demeanor, she hastily jammed the lock down.

"You think that makes a difference?" he laughed.

Bucky jammed his left hand into the handle, grabbing hold of the metal and yanking the door clean off the vehicle, slinging it off behind him. He watched her face pale in horror as she fumbled for her seat belt, desperately trying to free herself. Reaching forward he grabbed hold of the belt, yanking it free; lock and all. He grabbed a handful of the front of her hoodie with his right hand and practically tossed her from the truck.

Kade hit the ground, landing on her side, awkwardly scrambling to her feet as he advanced on her. She didn't even get her body straightened out before he had a handful of her hair; the shorter length made no difference at all in his grip. She yelped as he yanked her back toward him, her back flush with his chest. A hot breath raked over her ear and neck, causing an unconscious shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

"The things they've done to me, make me stronger than you can ever imagine" he growled.

He threw her to the ground, and she recovered surprisingly quick, rolling to her rear end as she sat up and pawed her way back; keeping her eye on his as she scooted backward. That smirk returned to his face, amused by her feeble efforts.

"You wanna run? Go ahead and run…how far do you think you'd get before I'd be able to put a bullet in the back of your skull?" he hissed.

The threat shot her memory back to the impound, and the image of the guard's head exploding in front of her. A lump formed in her throat, registering the confirmation of his ability to kill. He came up on her, and she gripped hold of the first thing she could; her fingers wrapping around a fist sized rock. She hurled it in his direction with all her might, hoping to delay him just enough to get to her feet. By her logic, she could at least make a break for the trees in the distance before he got back to the truck to retrieve a gun.

Her plan came to an abrupt halt when she watched him catch the rock with ease in his left hand, flexing the bionic muscles to crush it into dust with little effort at all. She froze, unable to get her body to listen anymore; as if she accepted the fact she was going to die. In an instant that same metal hand was around her throat, slamming her back down on the ground. The rocks and shrubbery stabbing into her back was non-existent compared to the grip he had around her neck.

Kade reached out and grabbed his forearm, feeling the artificial muscles shift under her touch. The ability to breathe was quickly becoming impossible, and any feeble attempt to free herself was pointless. Panic coursed through her as she clawed at him, playing for any give in his hold…playing for a chance to breathe.

"You put on a half assed front, trying to deny the obvious, but deep down you know…you know what I can do, and you know that I won't lose so much as a wink of sleep by taking your life…show a little respect" he growled menacingly.

She tried to speak, tried to beg, but nothing came out except choked gasps for air. His eyes flashed and his grip tightened ever so slightly; although it was enough to make her think he was going to crush her neck. Suddenly he released her and stood up straight, leaving her gasping and coughing on the ground. Kade curled up on her side, still wheezing as she gingerly lifted a handful of snow to her neck, hoping to calm the pain.

"If you think this is all just a one sided bargain, you're wrong. HYDRA knows you're alive now, thanks to your little field trip to the impound, which means sooner or later, they will find you…"

Bucky squatted down beside her, and she flinched, recoiling ever so slightly to his lack of distance; tear stained eyes staring him down.

"…without me, you won't last twenty-four hours, so like it or not, you need me"

The groan she tried to emit ended only in a coughing fit as he stood up and turned to head back to the truck.

"Let's go, we're losing daylight" he barked.

He pulled the truck into a small dirt parking lot, surrounded on all sides by six story slum apartments. Killing the engine, he unbuckled and hopped out, slamming the door shut and walking toward the back of the vehicle. Opening the latch, he raised the back door to see her curled up in a tight ball…shivering. He reached in, taking a handful of her hoodie and proceeded to drag her out from the back.

"Alright, I'm coming!" she hissed, wobbling only a moment as her feet came down on solid ground.

She stood by the back of the truck as he gathered the bags, glancing around. Night had already fallen, making it very difficult to see but she could tell clearly what kind of complex this was; she'd seen enough mafia movies to know this is where the bad ones always start out. Her hood was suddenly yanked back, and before she could protest, he had a long, thick cloth wrapped over her neck; effectively covering the bruises he left behind.

Bucky tugged at the cloth, yanking her close enough to put their noses inches apart, staring her down intently; silencing her in the process.

"Mind yourself" he warned.

With that he released her and finished gathering the bags, loading a total of two large duffle bags on his left and one on his right.

"Here" he snipped, handing her the very laptop bag she risked her life to retrieve.

Kade snatched it up without question, slinging it over her shoulder and holding on to it like it was the Holy Grail. He slammed the back door shut and strode toward what she assumed was the front door. Kadence hurried in behind him, eyes darting in every direction as her survival instinct started to kick in.

He led her inside, walking past an entryway of a small smoky room where several rough looking men seated around a table had put their poker game to a pause and stared down the two walking in.

"Ey!" one of them barked.

Bucky stopped in his tracks, and she nearly bumped into him because of it. Kade felt her heartbeat accelerating as a large, bald, tattooed man came out from the room and approached them. The man eyed her down first, Kade just fixated on her shoes to avoid eye contact. He let out a low chuckle then turned his attention toward Bucky.

The man garbled something in his native tongue, but while Kade didn't pick up on any of it, her counterpart went right into the flow; responding back with equal fluency. Bucky smirked, and fished a wad of cash out from his jacket pocket, raising it between his fingers. The larger man took it, eyeing it intently then laughed, again saying something that she didn't understand. It wasn't until she felt a large, meaty hand grab down on her left shoulder than she suddenly began to panic. He yanked her to face him and she stared up at him like a deer in the headlights, an action he seemed to enjoy; as did his friends gathering in the doorway. Kade didn't know what to do, she had no idea what they were talking about, and after the warning she got in the parking lot…she couldn't draw a plan of action that would avoid making him mad.

Suddenly an arm came across her field of vision, gripping down on the Russian's forearm so hard she heard the shift of his metallic muscles. The Russian suddenly brought his attention back to Bucky and the tension thickened so quickly that it got hard to breathe.

"Get behind me" he growled.

With the meaty hand gone, Kade slipped past him, putting a few steps between her and the Soldier. The Russian hissed something, and she guessed whatever it was, it wasn't nice, because the next thing she saw was Bucky's right hand clip him right in the mouth, putting him on the floor. Her eyes went wide and she clasped her hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet.

Two more equally large men came out from the room to help their friend, but upon seeing a one hit knockout, they both hesitated; exchanging glances and shouting at each other. Bucky brushed them off and turned to head up the stairs.

"Come on" he advised.

Kadence didn't need to be told twice, taking one last look at the Russian on the floor before turning to follow.


	6. Chapter Six: Compromised

_**I know I said I wouldn't do any more short chapters, but I'm kinda battling a cold right now and my brain is just...meh**_

_**Thanks again for all the support, you guys are great!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Six: Compromised **

It came to her knowledge that she took her condo in DC for granted. The apartment, if it could even be qualified as that, was tiny. The kitchen, or rather the stove and mini fridge practically invaded the living room, which also doubled as the bedroom. A broom closet that wouldn't be fit to hold a broom was the only additional storage space in the entire apartment, and she recalled seeing better looking bathrooms in run down gas stations.

However, it was the slums, and such living conditions were acceptable to the point of priority. The main thing that bothered her at the present point in time, was not the cramped and relatively disgusting state of the apartment, or the fact she was curled up on a bed roll not two feet away from him…but the fact that it wasn't much warmer inside than it was outside. Even curled up in her hoodie, his leather jacket, and two other blankets she was still reduced to teeth chattering cold.

Kadence glanced over to where he laid out, eyes closed…seeming sound asleep. She grumbled under her breath and shimmied herself into a sitting position, wrapping the blankets around her body as tight as she could. Her whole body was shaking and the chattering of her teeth reminded her more of a jackhammer.

"It's sub degree temperatures in here…and you sleep like the dead…nice" she growled under her breath.

Sighing, and watching her breath come out in a puff of steam, she reached over, pulling her laptop bag over toward her. Fishing her computer from the bag, she opened the top and pressed the power button, praying that the wreck didn't total the laptop as well. As the ASUS logo splashed up on the screen, she exhaled with relief; her breath coming out in steam yet again.

Kadence then rummaged through the compartments until she located a small green flash drive, quickly plugging it into one of the side ports. As the boot up finished it went to a solid black window with a prompt for a log in. She set the laptop on the floor and cracked her knuckles, praying her shivering would hold out long enough for her to type correctly.

With the success of her log in, she rifled into her bag for a hair tie and the power adapter with the universal power plug; nearly cracking her head into the wall to plug it in. Sitting back straight, she glanced over at him, pleased to see he was still sleeping. Feeling in charge for the first time in ages, she pulled her hair into a short pony-tail, cracked her knuckles and went to work.

The computer screen illuminated the dark room, mostly her face as she had become glued to the multitude of tabs open and running. Her mouth was partially gaping open as her eyes darted from one article to the next, soaking up as much information as possible. Police records, newspaper articles, photos, all of it dating as far back as the fifties…all of it his doing.

Hacking into the FBI was easy enough, she had done it so many times it was almost second nature, and using a Russian network just made it more so. Yet the information she was finding was all easy access, and it wasn't the parts she wanted to know. Kade opened up another window, taking a deep breath before her fingers went to work on the keyboard.

It felt a little unfair, that he knew all about her and she didn't even know his real name. After his mood swing from hell on the way here, she wanted to know his backstory…she wanted to know exactly what HYDRA did to him. As her fingers went back to work, seemingly on their own, see lost herself in the codes and scripts on the screen; praying she'd be able to get in and out without anyone noticing. 

"You're sure?" The Russian asked, narrowing his eyes at the screen.

The brunette woman on the other end of the video call was visibly shaken, using her forefinger to push her glasses back to the peak of her nose before giving him a quick nod.

"The database recorded a search entry with one of her known alias', routed from the location" she informed.

"And the agent on site?" He asked, standing up and walking toward the wall behind him; admiring the few photos he had mounted.

"Deceased sir"

"Cause of death?"

"High caliber bullet to the head, likely instant"

"There is no likely involved…what is her current location?"

"We don't know sir"

The Russian turned slowly, glaring at the woman on the screen.

"Would you care to repeat that?" he snipped.

"We have had no further reports or surveillance matches since the incident…she's in the wind sir" the woman replied, her voice wavering.

"Then I suggest you get to it! Start with all inbound calls made to every active agent we have. If they received a call from a restricted number, I want to know about it" he seethed.

The woman nodded, but seemed at a loss as to what to do.

"NOW!" he spat, slamming his fist into his desk.

She flinched, nearly right out of her seat, apologizing as she terminated the feed. The Russian groaned and straightened himself out, adjusting his tie to compose his demeanor. A swift knock came at the large door on the opposite of his desk.

"Enter" he commented.

The door opened and a man dressed in white and grey tactical gear walked in, closing the door behind him. He looked middle aged, short cropped black hair with tinges of gray above the ears, hazel eyes and a neatly trimmed black goatee. A jagged, off color scar led from right at the peak of his forehead, past his jaw and down his throat.

"Ah, Commander Sinclair, good news I hope" The Russian greeted, returning to his chair.

"I wish there was sir…still no report from the Soldier. We lost communication with him after Pierce's death"

"Ah yes, well it's understandable for a dog to mourn the death of his master…but we are on a tight schedule Commander…it's high time the mutt was put back in his kennel"

"Understood sir, we've got surveillance out looking for him now, and tag teams ready to pick him up"

"Good work"

Sinclair nodded and turned to leave, closing the door behind him. A transmission request suddenly popped up on the screen, prompting an incoming call. He hit the command code on his keyboard and was greeted with the face of Anthony Jestings.

"Mr. Jestings, just the man I wanted to speak with"

"Yes, sir…you requested a report if we noticed anything suspicious on the network…well, I think I found something"

"Oh?"

"About twenty minutes ago, our database reported an unauthorized entry to the mainframe. System logs indicate no threats or hijacks, but it seems the firewall had been compromised by a level seven type software"

"If you would please…translate"

Anthony paused for a moment, as if trying to find proper replacement words.

"Whoever entered the mainframe, knew what they were doing. They were in and out in a matter of minutes"

"Is anything missing that I should be worried about?" The Russian asked, his voice playing at a hint.

"I'm still running reports on that sir, this type of coding makes their tracks hard to find…but I should know something more in a few hours"

"Good man"

"You uh…wanted to speak to me about something?"

"Oh, it seemed to have slipped my mind…nothing important really, if I remember it, I will be sure to let you know"

"Very well sir"

With that, Jestings terminated the call. The Russian leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together in front of his face; eyeing the computer screen.

"Well well…so she wants to play, hm?"

Goose-bumps covered her arms, but the cold had nothing to do with it. Kade twirled the flash drive about in her hands, being as she downloaded everything she needed before terminating the session. Each file she pulled made her skin crawl, and her heart would occasionally dip right down into her stomach.

She finally found the file she wanted all along. As the window expanded, she saw a picture of him that looked like it was pulled from her grandmother's picture collection. A square, sepia toned face shot, and he looked barely older than she was; and not much younger than he looked presently. He looked to be donning a US Army uniform, and according the paperwork that went with that photo he was a Sergeant; Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes…nicknamed Bucky.

Kade then found the folder than HYDRA started on him. Found by Soviet patrols with his left arm torn off above his elbows; likely an injury he suffered after falling into a ravine. He was surrendered to HYDRA, where they fitted him with a bionic arm. Their intentions were to create him into their own personal super soldier, but when he failed to comply, he was put into cryostasis until they developed a machine that would essentially wipe his memories.

Her stomach turned as she continued reading, following his conditioning from HYDRA, the experiments with a super soldier serum, the training with KGB…all of it to make him the perfect killing machine. She found snapshots taken of the various procedures, some of them looking like pure torture. Tears brimmed her eyes and suddenly she couldn't take much more of it, slamming the laptop shut and sitting in silence; trying not to break down into tears.

She curled the blanket tighter around her body, sinking to the floor in a ball; convinced that the man sleeping nearby had been through her literal idea of a nightmare. Making it worse was the fact he continued reliving it for seventy years, and likely had no memory of it. It all made perfect sense now, as to why he was so unstable, and why he wanted revenge so badly he'd be willing to torture her if it meant tasting it.

Kadence did her best to control the sobs, but it became increasingly difficult. She was tired, hungry, cold, and now emotionally spent. Cold tears slid down her cheeks, and she curled herself deeper into the fray; crying herself to sleep for the first time in years.

Bucky laid there, eyes closed but not sleeping. After all the teeth chattering she was doing, there was no way he could sleep, but now a new sound was invading his ears…she was crying. He heard the distinctive slam of her laptop before she laid down, making an initial effort to hold back the sobs, but it proved to be pointless considering she went right down to balling buried beneath the mass of blankets she had hijacked.

Deep down, some part of him willed his mind to comfort her, but he brushed it off quickly. After the way he manhandled her earlier, he'd be surprised if she'd let him touch her if she had the choice. Curiosity scratched at his brain, wondering what exactly could bring her to tears so easily. He wondered if it was regret that he was feeling, wishing he could take back the things he said…the things he did. It took her several minutes before her crying stopped and he heard her breathing level out, indicating she finally drifted to sleep.

He sighed softly, staring up at the ceiling, wishing he could find sleep so easily. Bucky knew better though. The comfort of sleep came at a steep cost for him, and he thanked HYDRA for one thing, and that was the conditioning of his stamina; making him able to go days without needing real sleep. He'd rest at the very least, lay back and just close his eyes; meditate for lack of a better term…but never sleep. He hated falling asleep…


	7. Chapter Seven: Warn Somebody!

_**This is the result of a few uninterrupted hours in front of a computer...along with two shots of cold medicine**_

_**Finally figured out a way to get gaps in between time lapses, I apologize for not doing it sooner**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Seven: Warn Somebody!**

Kadence felt like she weighed twice as much as usual, blinking against the morning sun that flooded into the tiny apartment through the windows. She wrinkled her nose, still trying to adjust to the rancid smell of the complex. With a bit of difficulty she pushed herself up with her arms, stretching into a seated position, letting the blankets pool around her.

Her eyes fell on the empty bedroll nearby, then quickly scanned the room to find him nowhere in sight. She couldn't explain why her heart skipped a beat and panic teased at her mind. Perhaps it was the fact that without him, she was truly a sitting duck, not just for the men downstairs…but for HYDRA as well.

She scrambled to her feet, albeit sloppily as her balance hadn't quite set itself. The dufflebags were still tucked up against the kitchen cupboards, and her laptop was still where she left it the night before, but he was nowhere in sight. The sound of approaching heavy footfalls had her holding her breath, straining to hear any other distinct sounds.

As the footsteps grew closer, her heartbeat got faster. Using as much stealth as she could muster first thing in the morning, she made a bee-line for the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and muttering a short but simple _'shit!'_ upon realizing the handle had no lock.

The footsteps stopped at the front door, and Kadence paled, madly searching for anything she could use as a weapon. A sickened grimace crossed her face when she found the only thing worth being called a weapon…and that was the plunger sitting next to the toilet. While she felt she'd contract a fatal disease just touching it, she opted for it anyway, snatching it up and hoping inside the tub, ready for whatever or whoever was going to come through that door; thankful that it looked like it hadn't been used in months.

She heard the front door open, and a slow tread of footsteps make their way inside. Her heart was hammering in her ribcage so hard she thought it was going to burst right out of her chest cavity. The footsteps came toward the bathroom door, and she gripped the handle of the plunger hard enough to pull splinters. They stopped outside the door, and she could see the shadows cast underneath the door.

Without warning the door came crashing down, scaring her half to death. She gave the plunger a swing and it met to a sudden stop, but before she made the assumption she made contact, she was yanked forward, effectively tripping over the side of the tub and practically drug out from the bathroom. The plunger was suddenly gone, and she didn't even register she was on the floor before she had been spun around and pulled down; a heavy weight settling over her body and a sharp edge held at her throat.

Seconds felt like hours before her heart slowed enough for her to hear not just her own ragged breath, but the steady breathing of whoever it was that was holding her down. She slowly opened her eyes and just like that her heart was up in her throat.

He was straddling her, pinning her down at the waist, securing her arms above her head with one hand, while the other had one of his knives trained at her jugular. His blue eyes flashed with part anger and part relief, probably because he came extremely close to opening her airway.

"Do you have a deathwish?" he snarled, releasing the blade from her throat and getting to his feet.

"I can't exactly tell who's coming up the stairwell you know, it's not like I had a choice…" she argued.

Her nerves felt like jelly, which made it extremely difficult to get off the floor.

"…how about you warn somebody before you just disappear and leave them to fend for themselves with a gang of murdering Russians downstairs!" she snipped.

She saw a vein protrude from his neck, indicating it was probably best to stop talking before she'd find out just how close he'd bring her to death. Kade raised her hands innocently, hoping to diffuse the tension before it got worse, slinking past him to take a seat on her bedroll. He eyed her carefully then moved toward the counter, digging through a small paper bag that he had brought in.

Bucky pulled out a loaf of rye bread, tearing it in half and letting out a short whistle to get her attention. She glanced up in time for him to throw it toward her; and he was surprised she caught it. As he tore into his half, he kept an eye on her, watching her hesitate again. He half expected her to drill him on what he might have put inside it but to his wonder, she said nothing and took a bite.

Kadence gave a sour look at first, figuring out that she wasn't really keen on plain rye bread, but it was better than nothing, and certainly better than his cooking. Taking a second bite, she realized that if she just imagined home baked bread, it didn't seem so bad. Between the forced mind trick and the insistent growl of her stomach, she was chowing down in no time.

"Slow down, you'll make yourself sick" he warned.

She adhered to his words, and held back on the next bite until she properly swallowed what was in her mouth. Sitting there chewing gave her enough time to contemplate what she had been mulling over the night before…and the bravery to say it. Gulping down the mouthful, she cleared her throat for confidence.

"I've given it some thought…and I'm going to help" she stated.

"Last I checked you already were" he remarked.

"No, I was being kidnapped, held against my will and forced into it…this time…I'm volunteering…"

She looked over at him, and noticed that he had stopped eating; staring directly back at her.

"…no more running, no more half assed…I will do what I can to help you take down HYDRA"

Silence filled the tiny apartment, save for the sound of Moscow traffic in the distance, and indistinct shouting coming from another tenant. Kade lowered her eyes, feeling rather proud of herself and took another bite of her bread.

"What brought this on?" he asked.

"Call it a change of heart…but just so you know, that doesn't change the fact I still need better equipment. Yea, I can hack their mainframe with this computer, but the extent of my capability is hijacking files or uploading bugs. If I want to be able to hack their network patch…I need something a little more…complex"

Bucky stared her down, still unsure of what she was up to; and part of him didn't trust this sudden change in attitude. When he got down to it, she was still former HYDRA, lying was in her nature. Thoughts of her actions last night came bouncing around in his mind, and he glanced over at her laptop, thoroughly curious as to what really had her siding with him…providing it wasn't all just some ruse to get him to let his guard down; enabling her escape.

"Well, you said you knew of several Russian analysts…how about you find me one" he stated.

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Kade looked on in disbelief as he practically smashed through the door of what seemed to be an abandoned building. As he disappeared inside, she let out an annoyed sigh, turning on the ball of her foot and resting her hands on the hood of the SUV.

"Wait here" she mocked, curling her lip.

She turned, resting against the grill and crossing her arms over her chest, staring intently at the darkened door.

"Seriously, it's an abandoned building, the odds of someone actually-"

Her rant was cut short as three gun shots echoed out from inside. She went rigid, feeling an icy chill race through her veins; all she could see was the image burned in her mind from the impound. He appeared in the doorway, tucking his gun into the thigh holster, focusing his eyes on her. Her legs didn't want to work at first, and it took her a second of chewing on her lip to finally regain control of her body; trudging forward.

Kade paused at the doorway, leaning forward to peek inside, her heart dipping down into her stomach when she saw a thick trail of blood reflecting the light from the door; smeared underneath a door in the hallway. She cast him a judging glare.

"Was that really necessary?" she grumbled.

He scowled at her, grabbing a handful of the back of her hoodie and pushing her inside. She fought him for a second, dancing around to avoid the blood as he dragged her into the main room; abruptly letting her go. Kade composed herself, adjusting her hoodie and surveying the room. Workbenches lined the walls, covered in massive amounts of components. Some of them half pieced together, others just overflowing over the sides. A large desk along the far wall had a monitor setup that reminded her of her own back in the US; this one being pieced together by random parts.

"He was a HYDRA loyalist…" Bucky explained.

Kade then caught sight of the black flag hanging on the wall…the white HYDRA logo stamped in the middle.

"…not counted as an actual member or agent…but still a servant to them…"

She walked along the benches, eyes scanning for anything that may look useful.

"…If I let him live, he would have reported directly to HYDRA…so yes…killing him was necessary"

Kadence raised her eyes timidly, almost apologetically, letting out a soft sigh before deciding not to say anything further, bringing her attention back to the mountain of parts.

"So can you use any of this?"

"Truthfully?..." she trailed off, picking up a small device between her fingers and holding it up like it was plagued.

It resembled a compact satellite, rigged and welded to a base; surely a half ditched effort. She dropped the device back into the pile, flinching as it smacked against a motherboard and toppled over, nearly taking half the desk with it.

"…I'd have better luck hacking the network with a blender. Most of the equipment used to do what I need to do you can get on Ebay, Amazon…Craigslist if you're just plain stupid…but to go to the extent of making it yourself…you gotta be desperate…"

She grimaced as she inspected a halfway disassembled laptop, noting that the man he shot was piss poor when it came to solder skills.

"…homemade stuff doesn't have the built in encryption and coding required to get into HYDRA safely"

"A simple no would have sufficed" he grumbled, turning to leave.

Kadence hurried to follow, until something caught her attention, sitting at the edge of the workbench. She snatched up the small silver flip phone, opening the lid and quickly sifting through the settings. Her eyes lit up with a beaming smile before she slammed the phone shut and stuffed it into her pocket; hurrying to catch up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You can't be serious!" she hissed, watching him intently as he rolled a pair of sleeping bags out in the back of the SUV.

Bucky ignored her, tossing his smaller duffle bag at the head of one of the sleeping bags. Kade meanwhile paced nervously at the rear of the truck, her breath coming out in steamy puffs against the cold night air. Darkness had long since settled over them, and she was certain that she heard the distance barks and howls of coyotes; which wasn't helping her cope any better with his current course of action.

"Are you aware of how cold it gets out here at night?"

"That's why we're sleeping in the truck"

"A truck that just happens to be missing a door"

He paused, shooting her a threatening glare. Kadence silenced herself quickly to avoid pushing her luck with him, crossing her arms across her chest and letting out an exasperated sigh; continuing to pace.

"You are more than welcome to sleep outside…"

The sound of a coyote's bark had her spinning around, scanning the darkness for the culprit; this one seeming much closer than the last few.

"…I'm sure they won't mind having the company" he jested.

Swallowing her wounded pride, Kade all but jumped into the back of the SUV as he pulled the door shut behind her. A moment later and the interior light faded out, leaving them in the darkness. She sat on the sleeping bag she landed on, feeling rather awkward and unsure of what to do. Save for the times he was dragging her around or holding a knife to her throat, she was never this close to him for any amount of time.

Bucky laid back on his sleeping bag, tucking his left arm behind his head and settling down to rest; closing his eyes. Kade didn't move for several minutes, looking around like a lost child until she worked up the nerve to move. Using as much care to not bump into him, she eased down onto her bag, wrapping up in the few blankets he had tucked on her side. A shiver wracked her body, forcing her to bury herself within the sheets, praying sleep would find her quickly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kadence was ready to admit she was getting used to the cold, but deep down she knew that was a lie. She felt warm, comfortably warm even, and logic was reasoning that the sun had come up. When her eyes peeked open however, it was still dark out; the first rays of sunrise barely coming up. She faintly smelled gunpowder, mixed with the only explanation as to what the wild smelled like. Her memories recalled the times she spent nearly all day playing outside as a kid, and her skin and clothes would smell like sunlight and dirt. This scent was slightly different…it had a masculine tinge to it.

She began to stir awake, moving to stretch out her entire body; and that's when she realized her arms were tucked against her chest…and she was pressed snugly up against something else. Her eyes snapped open and she glanced up, staring him right in the face as he looked down at her; otherwise unmoved from the position she last saw him in. In an instant she had scrambled up, and scooted back to her side of the truck; a deep blush pulsing into her cheeks.

"S-Sorry" she stammered, casting her eyes down in shame.

He said nothing, moving to sit up and scoot toward the rear of the truck, opening the interior release. Kade shivered violently as the door opened, allowing a gust of freezing cold air to go whipping around her body. She followed him out of the corner of her eyes, watching him walk out a few feet from the back of the truck. He stopped, standing there nearly motionless, an action that had her slightly confused until she heard the sound of a stream of liquid pouring onto the ground, followed by a tuft of steam radiating from his groin. She didn't think it was possible to blush any harder as she glued her eyes toward the steering wheel, wrapping the blankets tighter around her body.

"Go" he stated.

She flinched, unaware that he had already walked back to the truck and was now standing at the rear door. He reached forward, grabbing hold of his duffle bag and rifling through it, digging through what looked to her like several changes of clothes.

"What?" she rasped.

"If you need to go, I suggest you go now"

Kade couldn't help the blush that just wouldn't go away, hesitantly scooting toward the door. Getting to her feet, she wandered around the vehicle, scanning for a spot that had the most cover. Finally finding a large bush just five feet away, she slowly meandered over. Seeing him otherwise distracted, she went for the button of her jeans.

She was only eight the last time she had to relieve herself behind a bush, but she was certain that the camping trip then was under better circumstances then her current one. Finishing up, she made haste in returning to the vehicle as he fired it up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She let out a sigh, laying across the hood of the SUV with her arm resting over her eyes to shield from the mid-day sun, her legs draping down over the grill; the heel of her converse shoes tapping against the bumper. Kade could hear him shifting around behind the truck, the sound of metal scraping against asphalt; a clear indication he was in the process of changing a tire.

"Can you answer me something…truthfully?" she asked, her voice raised slightly so he could hear her.

"What?" he grunted, jamming the spare onto the lugs.

"Have you ever given much thought as to what you're gonna do after…"

Kadence trailed off for a moment, part of her trying to warn her it was not a subject for small talk; a warning she ignored.

"…you know…after you take down HYDRA?"

"Are you wondering what _I'm_ going to do…or what I'm going to do with you?"

A lump formed in her throat and she went rigid at how quickly he turned the tables. She was quiet for a moment before swallowing down her nerves to answer.

"Both"

She could hear him winding the spoke, tightening the nuts against the lugs to secure the tire; metal clanging against metal briefly as he switched between them.

"As for me, I haven't thought much about it…as for you…I'm sure you already know the answer"

Kade adjusted herself to sit up, staring off at the road ahead as it just seemed to go on for miles; much like her thoughts. As disheartening as his response was, she wasn't exactly surprised. His mission was to destroy HYDRA, and in his eyes, she was part of it. Tears silently pricked at the corner of her eyes when images of the archival photos came racing into view, the unspeakable torture he was put through over the past few centuries was a perfect justification for his need for revenge. He came into her peripheral view, wiping his hands off with an old rag, staring her down with that familiar cold look.

"Yea…I guess I do"

"Then why are you so willing to help all of a sudden"

"It's not important"

"Out for your own motives? Trying to earn brownie points because you're under some delusion that I might spare you at the end of the day?"

"I said it's not important" she repeated, annoyance lacing her tone.

In an instant she was laid back down on the hood of the SUV, his metal hand holding a bracing grip around her throat. She winced as his fingers drove down on old bruises, her hands going for his forearm out of habit.

"The hell it's not…" he growled.

Kade didn't bother fighting, mostly because she's learned on more than one occasion that fighting him was not just useless…but it risked making things worse.

"…you look me in the eyes and tell me you're not just satisfying your own selfish motives out of fear"

She felt his grip tighten, forcing a pained hiss from her. With what little airway she had left, she drew in a deep breath and turned her eyes toward him. She saw anger, pain, resentment…but she also saw pain.

"I told you…that I would do anything I could…to help you…and I meant that" she stated, her voice strained.

"Why?"

"Because…they had no right to do…what they did" she answered.

Kade saw something flicker in his eyes and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Time felt like it dragged on forever before he finally released her, walking back toward the rear of the vehicle as she coughed out the discomfort.

"Go get in the truck" he ordered sternly.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"I said get in the truck" he barked.

It was then that Kade caught the sound of an approaching vehicle, coming up from behind them. Not wanting to anger him further, she slid off the hood and came around the side, crawling into the back seat and slamming the door behind her; lowering herself down. Her heart was going ninety miles an hour by the time the van reached them, slowing down to a stop beside them.

The vehicle looked like it came out of a rogue killer movie. The paint was faded and the body itself was being eaten away with rust. The windows had been completely blacked out and she noticed strange symbols spray painted along the side…no doubt Russian gang signs.

An older man leaned out the passenger window, addressing Bucky in Russian; Kade made a mental note to learn said language in the near future. Bucky responded, and the two exchanged words for a few moments before the side door of the van pulled back, and two large men emerged, looking no different than the group they ran into at the apartment. She bit down on her lip, and suddenly her adrenaline kicked into high gear, when she saw him move his hand to reach for the gun tucked against his back.

There was no explanation fathomable to justify her next course of action, but as she looked down at her laptop and the map on top of it, she wondered if it just might work; the men in the apartment seemed distracted with her easily enough…what made them any different? She snatched up the map and the scarf, jamming the first into her back pocket, then wrapped the second around her neck to conceal the yellowing bruises and quietly opened the door. Leaving the door open, she checked herself in the tint of the window, yanking her hair tie loose and toying with her hair for a quick minute.

Seeming satisfied, if not the least bit petrified, she took a steadying breath and made her way around the side of the vehicle. Her sudden presence seemed to have taken the Russians by surprise, especially the one in the passenger seat. It was then that Bucky directed his attention toward her, and the look on his face suggested she was going to pay dearly for her disobedience later. Kade flashed them an innocent smile, walking up to Bucky and wrapping her arm into his.

"Hey hunny, what's going on, are they able to help?" she asked sweetly, praying he'd play along.

She saw him flex his jaw, obviously restraining what he really wanted to say. Relief overtook her when he seemed to force a smile and accept her embrace.

"No sweetie…I haven't asked yet" he responded, albeit through half gritted teeth.

"Oh don't be shy then, we'll be wandering out here forever without directions"

Kade pulled away from him, making a move toward the Russians as she pulled the map from her back pocket, slinging it open; walking toward the man in the passenger seat.

"Do you speak English?" she asked sweetly.

Hiding the shiver of disgust was almost impossible as she watched him eye her up and down, licking his lips with a twinkle in his eyes. It occurred to her that if her brilliant plan backfired, it would not bode well for her…in the hands of either party.

"I speak English" he replied, his accent heavy.

"Oh thank god…"

She scanned the map for a few seconds, trying her hardest to determine where they were on the map; her eyes lit up as she moved the map for him to see.

"We need to get to here…are we close by chance?" she asked, pointing to a spot on the map.

He pulled a small pair of reading glasses from his chest pocket, placing them on his nose and inspecting the location of the map she was aiming for. The man looked to be calculating something in his head before he finally answered.

"Two hours, straight down this road, and take first highway on right"

"Oh thank you so much, you have no idea how much I appreciate this" she stated, flashing him a beaming smile.

Kade turned back toward Bucky, forcing herself to fold the map incorrectly if only to add to her act.

"See…it doesn't hurt to ask for directions" she cooed at him.

She tucked her arm back around his and raised herself on her toes to plant a gentle kiss on the lower side of his cheek. It didn't matter if she was only acting, her heart jammed itself up in her throat from the sudden bravery; meanwhile she felt him go rigid next to her.

"So…what brings happy couple to Russian back country?" the passenger asked.

"Vacationing in Moscow actually…we decided to meet up with my aunt for dinner tonight, but it seems I don't make for a very good co-pilot…my Russian is a little rusty" she replied lightly, never dropping the smile.

"Somebody expecting you" he asked, stuffing his glasses back into his pocket.

"Yea, my aunt Vera, she found out we were in Moscow and she is desperate to have us come meet her fiancé"

"Oh, good for her" the passenger stated, seeming like he was forcing a smile.

He glanced at the two men standing near Bucky and motioned his head toward the van. The men complied and got back into their vehicle, sliding the door shut.

"Don't forget, stay on this road, two miles, then first right" he advised.

"I will remember that, thank you again" she stated, waving at him as the driver pulled the vehicle around to go back the way they came.

Kade waited until they were far enough down the road before she let out a deep sigh of relief and slid her arm out from under his. No sooner had she done that did she find her back planted up against the door, his arms set on either side of her face, and his nose just inches from hers.

"What part of stay in the truck, did you not get!?" he seethed.

"You told me to _get in_ the truck, you said nothing about staying in it" she retorted, using the last bit of bravery to snap at him.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and she saw a vein peek out from his forehead; a reaction that drew her to the need to explain her motives before he acted out on his obvious anger.

"Rule number one when traveling abroad, when asked, always tell them that someone either knows you're here or that someone is expecting you…saves you from ending up with your organs on the black market"

"I had it under control"

"Your idea of control would have left us with an abandoned rust bucket and four dead bodies. For someone trying to stay under the radar, that's not exactly a subtle move"

She saw that flicker in his eyes again, and Kade wondered if she had truly pushed too far; cursing the courage that was surprisingly still running through her veins.

"Get in the truck…and stay there" he growled through his teeth.

He pushed himself away, glaring at her as she timidly made her way around the SUV and crawled back into the back seat; shutting the door behind her. She pulled the map from her back pocket, opening it back up to refold it properly. Bucky, meanwhile, gathered the tools up off the ground, tossing them into the back and slamming the door shut. When next she looked up at him, he bent down to grab the flat tire with his left hand, and spun around, slinging it off into the brush; growling out in anger.

Kade watched the tire disappear in the air, going off much further than most people could throw a football. With that, he slung open the driver side door and hopped inside, firing up the engine and nearly barking tires as he took off down the road. She made another mental note…that it was best not to make a peep for the next few hours.


	8. Chapter Eight: Crosshairs

_**Cold is finally starting to subside, but hacking up a lung every twenty minutes...so yea.**_

_**Just a little bitty update, for those of you that might be waiting for the "Romance" side of this story, rest assured, it's coming.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Eight: Crosshairs**

The sounds of their steps against the stone floor seemed to echo out from the underground hallway as he led her into the room he found during his sweep. Much like the last it was decorated with shelves and work benches, but unlike the last, it was much more tidier; and by the looks of the equipment…funded by someone with very deep pockets.

As predicted by the map layout she created, they found this particular hideout nestled within a decent sized rock formation. It appeared as just a simple stick built home; small and plain to those who didn't know what they were looking for. It took him only a matter of minutes to find a hidden entryway behind an old bookshelf, and another few minutes before gunfire was heard from inside. As per usual she was ordered to stay outside until he finished sweeping, ensuring it was safe for her to enter. Kade made her way around the benches, inspecting everything for usage, and squirrling away whatever she thought could help; stuffing it inside a small duffle bag she had found sitting on a chair upstairs.

"Take only what you need…then get back outside" he stated coldly, turning to leave.

She glanced at him, biting her tongue against his retreating form. It was the first thing he said to her in the three hours since their run in with the Russians, and in her mind, she expected him not to speak to her for the remainder of the day. Kadence brushed it off and went back to her inspection, wanting to be done and gone before the body he left in the hallway started to smell.

After grabbing a small device similar to the home-made one she found the day before, she turned to head out when something caught her attention. One particular section of the shelves placed against the wall near the entryway looked to be made differently than the rest. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have even caught her attention, but judging by the hidden door and remote location that hid several hundred thousand dollars, worth of equipment…she figured it anything but random.

Kadence looked over the items stacked on the shelf, taking note that most of the tech had been several years outdated, leading her to believe this shelf wasn't meant to be here. Her eyes then fell upon an ornate jewelry box on the third shelf up. She reached down, carefully pulling the lid back to expose a small dusty keypad. A humored smile crept across her lips, seeing very clearly the last code that had been entered on the few keys that had no dust on them at all.

"No way it's that easy" she whispered softly to herself.

Nimble fingers reached down, pressing down the particular set in order of value. A low click was heard from somewhere behind the stone wall and Kade nearly tripped over herself trying to step back as the shelf swung around, exposing another small hidden stairwell. An accomplished grin came over her face, and she beamed with delight. Kade glanced toward the hallway, biting her lip for a moment as she contemplated her next course of action; eventually finding no harm in finding out what the analyst deemed as secret. She took a deep breath of confidence and slowly walked forward, descending further underground.

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The Russian had his back turned to the two men in his office, his hands clasped together neatly behind his back; although the grip had his knuckles turning white. He turned slowly to face them, the anger easily seen through a rigid jawline.

"I don't care how you do it…just get it done…I can trust you with that much can't I?" he seethed, staring down the man to his left.

He looked to be in his mid-twenties, shoulder length dark blonde hair with half of it tied up in a small pony-tail, a scruffy beard and light blue eyes against dark tanned skin. A worn red bandanna was tied around his neck, coupled with a pair of tinted racing goggles added to his rugged outback look, sporting a dirt stained jean jacket, white undershirt, worn blue jeans and a pair of old cowboy boots; the thick leather strap across his chest held a fifty caliber sniper rifle to his back.

"I have yet to disappoint" the man responded through a toothpick jammed between his teeth; his accent hinting an Australian upcoming.

"Then see to it that you don't disappoint me…there are more than enough in this room doing just that" the Russian warned, turning his attention to Commander Sinclair, who was posted to the right.

The Australian glanced over at Sinclair, who was otherwise motionless as he stood at attention before his superior.

"What about her little friend?" the blonde asked, raising an eyebrow at the Russian.

"You are not to engage the soldier. Your target is the analyst and only the analyst, do you understand?" Sinclair growled.

"I give the orders around here Sinclair" the Russian hissed threateningly.

"With all due respect sir, the soldier can be a valuable asset once we get him back in our custody"

"Your valuable asset is the one who not only terminated an active agent, but brought her to Russia in the first place!" he spat, slamming his fists down on the desk.

Sinclair was silent for a moment, quickly trying to come up with a counter.

"Let us apprehend him…if we reset him and maintain that condition, he will follow orders without question, just as he always does"

"Because that has worked so well in the past, right Commander?..." the Russian asked, seating himself in the chair and leaning back as he continued.

"…Zola formulated the conditioning treatment back when they first found him, and it has remained unstable all this time. He was placed in cryo when he wasn't on missions for a reason, and that reason is because he is too easy to unravel. The experiments Zola performed on him before the accident, eventually made it impossible for him to remain…obedient…for very long"

"Just give me a chance sir…I can make it work"

Silence filled the room for what seemed like hours, and the Australian tossed glances between Sinclair and the Russian.

"You have your orders" he stated coldly at the blonde.

The Australian nodded slightly and turned to leave, as Sinclair was stared down.

"As for you…put a shock collar on your mutt…before I put him down for good" he growled.

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She reached the bottom step and held her place, eyes wide and mouth part gaping as she took in the overly large room. Server racks were lined along the walls and across the floor in spaced rows, indicator lights blinked between green and yellow, and the steady hum of the computers was almost entrancing. It took only seconds before she felt like a kid in a candy store.

"A server relay room…Kade you are a genius!" she squeaked to herself, rummaging through her bag for her laptop and a few other items she had acquired one floor up.

Kadence made haste, knowing it was only a matter of time before he'd come back for her, and she'd much rather have good news for him; considering he'd likely he livid otherwise. She dropped to the floor at the first rack against the wall, firing up her laptop and she connected it to one of the servers through a USB cable. As her machine booted, she set up the small satellite device, hooking it to her laptop as well. She then rummaged through her pockets, finding the small flip phone she acquired on their first stop.

With all the devices plugged in and ready, she cracked her knuckles and went to the keyboard, furiously typing commands. The satellite whirred to life and rotated around, adjusting its angle every few seconds.

"Come on baby…you can find it" she encouraged.

An alert suddenly chimed on her laptop, opening another window, prompting her to enter in another set of commands; in which she had no problem doing. She hit enter, and held her breath, staring so intently at the screen it could have burst into flames if she had such an ability.

Suddenly another window appeared on her screen and Kade had to resist the urge to jump for joy, her fingers going mad across the keyboard until several loading bars popped up, filling little by little as she sat back, grinning like a Cheshire cat the entire time. The sound of slowly approaching footfalls came as little surprise to her, and she decided to keep her back turned.

"I know you said to get back to the truck, but you have no idea how easy my job just got, this place is a gold mine!" she beamed, rather proud of herself.

She made a motion to face him and just before she could lock eyes with him, a brunt force came across her face so hard it knocked her sideways. For a moment she saw stars and her bottom lip was throbbing. Kade found herself face down on the floor, struggling to get her vision straight. Albeit wobbly she managed herself up on her arms, sloppily turning to face him; nearly ready to give him an earful until she got a good look.

The man standing before her was not Bucky, and she was pushing it by calling him a man at all. He was massive, easily able to have his head touch the ceiling had it not been for the hunch in posture. His broad back and shoulders looked as if they were reinforced with armor plating, and that armor plating followed all the way down his arms; it was then that Kade realized that the plating was not an addition…but part of his skin.

His pants looked custom made from several pieces of material stitched together, and his boots looked only to be made out of loose threaded leather. It was his face that scared her the most. He was bald, the top of his head looking to be just as reinforced as the rest of him. Scrunched up cheeks, dark beady eyes and a lower jaw that jutted out just a little bit more than it should have; looking almost lopsided.

Kade was struggling to breathe, and not just because of the growing pain centered around her lower jaw; or the blood she felt slowly trickling down from her lip. She inched back slowly, keeping her eyes on him, as if readying for his next move. He suddenly raised his arm, as if he were ready to strike her again. It took only a moment for adrenaline to kick in, allowing her to find her tongue again.

"Bucky!" she screamed, throwing herself to her hands and knees and scrambling away.

The creature brought his arm across, smashing into the server she was backed up against just moments ago, sending pieces flying everywhere, and the rack itself tumbling over. She jet across the floor, feeling the rack clip her heel just as she moved out the way. Before the thought of getting to her feet crossed her mind, she felt a crushing grip take hold of her ankle.

It was like the room flew by her and suddenly her side collided against something hard and rigid. The impact forced the air out of her lungs, and the pain was dulled momentarily as she came down on the floor. Her head was swimming and she felt a burning sting sing out from the side of her face, making the pain in her jaw seem non-existent.

Her body seemed to fail as she caught sight of the creature advancing on her. Just as a huge hand went to cover her field of vision, a loud bang echoed out from within the room. The creature paused, his hand abandoning her as he turned his attention toward the new visitor. As she struggled to regain bodily function the creature seemed to be knocked back, allowing her to watch the fight unfold in front of her.

Even as waves of dizziness hit her, she watched in awe as he went head to head with the creature, his metal arm clanging out every time he struck the beast's armored skin. Kade's arms were shaking, her elbows threatening to buckle as she tried to sit up. Two more shots rang out, then a low grunt, followed by a crash to her left; and when her attention finally turned…she saw Bucky struggling to his feet.

He looked surprised, but ragged nonetheless. Without the protection of his armored top and pants, he took hits a little harder than expected; and it seemed his gun wasn't doing any good either. The beast seemed to just stand there, staring down the soldier, waiting for his next move, and Kade was doing the same. She felt a pang of guilt sting against her ribs, knowing that if she hadn't gone wondering off, neither of them would be in this mess; facing down a beast that was likely to kill them both.

Bucky suddenly looked in her direction, panting slightly, and for a moment, she couldn't explain the look that came over him; he looked as if he were silently pleading for something. Suddenly his lip curled and he let out a guttural growl, charging the beast. Kade wanted to cry, watching helplessly as he exchanged blows with the creature. She looked away, ready to accept the fact this was her fault; and that was when she caught sight of his gun laying on the floor where he fell.

Any blow to a soft spot was easily blocked, as if the beast knew better than to be struck there, and Bucky was finding it incredibly difficult to make any type of impact of any other part of him. The monster's skin seemed to be mutated, giving him his own personal coat of armor; an armor that even his arm couldn't penetrate. He aimed for another attempted punch to the chest, and was blocked again, but this time, another large hand wrapped itself around his throat, lifting him up into the air.

He let out a strangled gasp as the hand gripped tighter and tighter by the second, crushing his airway. The monster looked up at him, and Bucky could see his crooked jaw shift into a grin; as if amused by his attempts. Suddenly a loud shot rang out, followed by a sharp stinging sensation across his right side. In an instant the beast let go, and Bucky fell to the ground, coughing as four more shots came from behind him.

All four pelted the beast in different areas of the stomach, and all four penetrated, leaving behind gaping holes that allowed thick streams of blood to pour from; it made sense now as to why the beast protected its midsection so carefully. Bucky watched as the creature gave him a blank stare, it's beady eyes displaying only confusion as it fell backward into a row of server racks; crashing to the floor in the most dramatic way possible.

He turned his attention back where the shots came from, seeing her standing there, leaning against a server rack, both hands gripping his gun for all she was worth. Her arms were shaking and her breathing was ragged and unsteady. The blood caked along the right side of her face looked like it had already started to dry, much like the trail leading down from her bottom left lip.

Bucky forced himself to his feet, slowly walking toward her. An empty clip didn't matter…he saw the look in her eyes, he remembered seeing that same look in the mirror once; the look of someone who was just pushed a little too far. He gently took hold of the gun with his left hand, and she flinched, snapped out of her gaze; shifting her gaze to him. Bucky looked into those unique eyes, seeing a raging storm of emotion behind them; the most prominent was easily visible by the tears welling up.

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Kadence stared blankly at the screen of her laptop, the tiny satellite posted next to it, shifting direction every so often as her program was busy running encryption codes. The small silver flip phone suddenly came to life, displaying a window within the tiny screen that simply read 'Download Complete'. She unplugged the phone, flipping it shut and tucking it into her pants pocket, pressing a wet cloth back to the side of her forehead; wincing as a sting of pain wrapped itself around the whole of her head.

She leaned back against the inside rear of the SUV, her right leg draped over the outside of it. Her head was pounding, her jaw hurt and her lip felt twice its normal size; on top of that her right elbow was extremely sore…much like most of her right side. After realizing that her downloads were successful, they were quick to make themselves vacant; but not before he tossed a pair of high intensity grenades down into the server room.

He drove for nearly an hour before he stopped at a small service station off the main road, muttering something about getting cleaned up. Before he disappeared inside with a small black box in hand, he tore up one of his shirts and drenched it using their bottled water; offering it to her to clean her own wounds. Kade figured no harm in killing two birds with one stone, setting her computer up to start running the tracer program while she tended to herself.

It was after the first glimpse of the rag that she realized it was probably best if she didn't have a mirror; the large amounts of blood on the shirt was enough of a hint that she didn't want to see it. Kade leaned over the side, pouring the last of the water bottle over the shirt and wringing it out before she pressed it back against her face. She had long since cleaned the blood off, but the cool feeling of the water against her skin felt amazing. The clang of a bell brought her attention toward the entrance of the service station, and her heart jumped into her throat when she saw him striding toward her. The black box in one hand, a pair of bottled waters clenched in his other hand; and a large stain of blood on the right side of his shirt.

She lowered her eyes to her computer, unable to speak as he approached the truck. He handed her one of the bottles and she took it timidly, setting the cloth down beside her so that she could open it. Kade couldn't remember the last time a drink of water had felt so satisfying, holding back a moan of ecstasy as the cold liquid soothed her parched throat.

He too took a few gulps of water, then promptly closed the lid, setting it down near her laptop. He tossed the box inside the SUV and started walking back toward the building. Raising her eyes slightly, she watched him as he reached a small trashcan at the corner of the building, pulling out as many glass bottles as he could. Her curiosity stabbed at her as she continued to watch him, following his every move as he then walked out several feet away from the back of the SUV, setting the bottles up in a line along the road sign.

Kade didn't bother hiding the dumbfounded look on her face as he walked back toward her, saying nothing as he reached for his duffle bag; pulling out a large gun that was identical to the one she fired earlier. He released the clip, checking the magazine, then shoved the clip back inside the gun; flipping a small dial near the hammer.

"Come here" he ordered, taking a few steps away from the truck.

She wanted to argue his motive, but instead, held her tongue and slid off the back; wincing painfully and favoring her right leg for a few steps. As she joined his side, he handed her the gun; an action that had her stop in her tracks.

"What are you doing?" she asked innocently, refusing to take the weapon.

"I'm going to teach you how to aim" he replied.

"Why?"

"Because, you shoot me again, and I will shoot back, and trust me…I don't miss" he warned.

Her eyes glanced at the wound on his side, and a reverberating pain rattled out within her chest.

"I said I was sorry" she argued, her voice almost in a pouting nature.

He grabbed a hold of her and yanked her forward, nearly forcing her to topple forward before he was suddenly behind her, holding her against his chest and forcing her hands around the handle of the gun. Her heart was pounding out of control, and she tried to convince herself it was because of the massive gun in her hands.

"Match your stance with mine, I'll turn with you" he instructed.

Kade looked down, bringing her right foot back to align with his and setting her left in front of her.

"It's the exact same as the last one, only difference now is that you're gonna feel more recoil since you're not on an adrenaline high…don't lock your elbows, don't hang them, keep them set, but slightly bent" he advised, his mouth inches away from her ear.

"…Focus on your target…" he continued.

It took her a few moments to steady her thoughts enough to focus on the line of glass bottles several feet away. She adjusted her hands within his hold, taking a grip on the gun like she did under the cabin.

"…Level your breathing…"

She inhaled deeply, exhaling just as slowly; a trick that was also helping her take her mind off how his body felt around hers. His thumb reached up, pulling the hammer back.

"…Get it in your crosshairs…"

Kade zeroed in on the large brown bottle in the middle, lining her vision down the small sight at the end of the barrel.

"…Take a deep breath…"

She drew in another deep breath as he instructed.

"…Now hold it…"

It felt like the world suddenly stood still when she forced herself to stop breathing, watching only as he lifted his finger to flip the dial on the side.

"…Fire"

Kade pulled the trigger, and the shot was nearly deafening; never-mind the fact she was sure the gun would have come back and clocked her in the face had he not been holding onto it as well. She had to swallow the feeling of disappointment when all the bottles stood defiantly along the sign; not a single one damaged.

"Try again" he demanded.

She sighed heavily, but steadied herself regardless.

"It's a semi auto, so you don't have to pull the hammer back after the first shot"

Kade repeated his instruction in her head, drowning out everything around her this time; seeing nothing but the glass bottle in her sights. She took in a deep breath and held it, fine tuning her crosshairs one more time before she pulled the trigger again.

The deafening shot was quickly followed by the sound of glass shattering. An odd feeling of accomplishment swelled up from deep within her, looking down to see the bottle was gone. Granted it was still halfway intact laying in the gravel, it was still better than before.

"Good, do it again" he instructed.

His body was suddenly absent, and the gun felt slightly heavier, but she followed his instruction just like last time. She shifted her grip, trying for a better hold and repositioned her arms. Her breathing leveled, she put another bottle in the crosshairs, held her breath and fired. Again the sound of glass shattering, and the beaming joy bubbling up from her chest nearly scared her.

Kade was now running with no instruction, destroying three more bottles before the old store clerk came out shouting, throwing his hands into the air angrily. She lowered the weapon and scurried back over to the truck, fearful that the old man might pull his own gun if she didn't comply.

"Now, remember…you shoot me again, I'm shooting back" he warned, taking the gun from her and stuffing it back inside the bag.

"I already said I was sorry…what more do you want?" she huffed.

"From you?...better aim" he replied, taking a seat on the back of the SUV.

She shot him a soured look as he took another drink of water, seemingly unimpressed with her glare. A chime came out from her computer and she instantly forgot about his jeer at her lack of combat skills, too trained on the screen to care about anything else.

"Yes! I got a hit!" she breathed, typing in a series of commands.

"Hit on what?" he asked.

"Finding the server relay was a godsend. With the software I managed to download, I can now sync up with the proprietary network signal to-"

"English please"

Kade paused a moment, trying to quickly translate her statement.

"My broadcast signal is now a replica of HYDRA's, so when I hack their network, it will look like normal traffic" she stated.

"See how easy that was?" he jested.

"It was a lot harder than you think"

With the final force of a command, a window popped up on the tablet sitting next to the laptop, displaying a map with a pinging dot near the top.

"Got it. Their first route point looks to be…"

She trailed off, taking up the tablet and taking slow steps toward the station before stopping and turning on her heel toward the road sign; pointing toward the mountains in the distance.

"…roughly three hundred miles northeast, up past Boroyzo" she finished, lowering the tablet to look back at him.

"You said Boroyzo?"

"Yea why? You know it?"

"I don't think so, it just sounds…"

He trailed of and suddenly glanced over his shoulder.

"Sounds wh-"

Kade didn't have a chance to question him before he jumped up from the truck, lunging forward to grab hold of her hoodie and yanking them both back toward the SUV; forcing them down to the ground. The echo of gunfire finally hit her ears, as did a low thud just a foot away where she had been standing not two seconds ago; a cloud of dust erupting at the point of impact.

"What the hell!?" she hissed, trying to ignore the cries of pain coming from her right knee.

"Sniper" he growled.


	9. Chapter Nine: Mission Accomplished

_**Meant to post this sooner, I got a little distracted...sorry**_

_**The reviews mean a lot to me, thank you guys so much**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Nine: Mission Accomplished**

"You cheeky little fuck" the Australian grumbled, scanning the area around the SUV through his scope.

"Don't tell me you missed" Sinclair mocked, standing back a few feet from the blonde; his arms crossed over his chest.

"Woulda had a clean kill if your boy didn't hear the shot….been nice to know he's got ears like a bloody fox"

"I would have thought the term 'super soldier' would have been enough of an explanation…forgive me for not providing you with a picture book"

"You can take a long suck mate. I got em pinned…either of em move, they're dead" he stated, focusing on the passenger side of the truck when he noticed the smallest bit of movement.

"You know your orders, she dies, he lives" Sinclair warned.

"Keep your pants on, the payout is the only one I want in my crosshairs"

"Then hurry up and finish it"

"Well by all means, go on down there and push her into-"

The Australian was cut off as a shot rang out, followed by a low thud and a cloud of debris that erupted right underneath the bipod. The blonde released the weapon and did a quick side roll the moment his brain registered he was being shot at.

"Son of a bitch!" he spat.

A quick inspection of his gun showed a mangled line through the rail, clipping the outer part of the scope. He got to his feet, leaving the destroyed gun behind and striding toward one of the military Hummers parked behind them; looking less than pleased.

"And where do you think you're going?" Sinclair hissed, his hand over his gun.

"Where do you think I'm going…asshole just made this personal" the blonde retorted, yanking open the driver door.

"Stand down, you have your orders, he is not to be engaged" the commander warned, approaching the vehicle with his gun drawn.

"I'm not going to engage him, I'm going to kill him"

Sinclair fired a warning shot, which was easily deflected by the vehicle as the Australian nearly ran him over; speeding off toward the main road. The commander gave a quick hand gesture, issuing the small company into pursuit.

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"Go, now!" he barked, raising himself off of his stomach; dragging his rifle up by the carrying handle.

Kade's heart was pounding out of control as she scrambled around the side and jumped into the passenger seat, barely able to seat herself before the vehicle was thrown into reverse, swinging around the parking lot and then fishtailing as he stomped on the gas; throwing up a cloud of dirt that enveloped them as he sped off down the road. She had a death grip on the seat, an attempt only to keep from being jarred right out of the truck; the wind from the lack of door whipped around her violently.

She adjusted herself to look back behind them, still able to see the cloud of dust settling in the distance. Still keeping low behind the seat, she scanned the area, seeing the high rocks behind the station where the sniper must have posted; and then she saw movement further down the road. Her lungs cramped painfully when she saw not just one vehicle come out onto the road…but three more follow shortly behind it.

"Please tell me this thing has horsepower" she breathed, looking over at him.

Bucky glanced in the rear view mirror, his jaw flexing when he caught sight of the military Hummers closing in on them fast. He pushed his foot to the floor, forcing what little power he could from the engine; glancing down at the speedometer…ninety wasn't going to be enough. He turned his eyes back on the highway, gripping hold of the steering wheel to prepare himself.

Kadence brought her attention back out to the rear, watching in horror as the lead Hummer came right up on them, close enough for her to see the driver clear as day; a young blonde haired man. The Hummer slammed into the back of their SUV, shattering the back glass and knocking her into the dashboard. Their truck lurched forward from the initial impact, and Bucky made rigid adjustments to the wheel to keep the vehicle strait.

She struggled for air, finding it momentarily difficult to breathe as blinding pain sang out from her right side; certain that if she didn't have a broken rib or two before, she certainly did now. The Hummer backed off only a few feet, and she swore she could see a sinister grin etched across the driver's face as he came forward again. Kade was only slightly more prepared this time, bracing herself against the dash as the SUV was pushed forward again. She had to grip onto both the seat and the dash as the truck started to swerve; Bucky struggling for control.

"Get us out of here!" she begged.

"I'm trying" he snipped.

Kade watched as the blonde backed off, and readied herself for another jarring hit before another Hummer appeared from behind him, accelerating to match pace, then giving him a not so subtle push from the side; as if trying to get his attention. The blonde snapped his head toward the pacing vehicle, giving an equal push back.

"What the hell are they doing!?" she thought aloud.

"Can you reach the duffle bag in the back?" he asked sternly, his voice raised over the roar of the wind that was ripping through the passenger side.

"What?"

"The bag on the left!"

She crawled into the backseat, trying to keep an eye on the feuding Hummers just encase one of them decided to give them another tap. Sloppily slinging herself over the back of the rear seat, she reached for the duffle bag in question, recognizing it as the one he pulled his sniper rifle from, yanking the sides open to expose enough artillery to lay siege to the white house.

"Holy shit" she breathed.

"It should be the one on the top…looks like a shotgun with a disk mounted underneath it!" he ordered.

Her eyes scanned the massive amounts of weapons until the one he described caught her attention, taking hold of it and lifting it from the bag; noting that it wasn't as light as she expected it to be.

"This one?" she asked, holding it up enough for him to see.

Bucky glanced back at her and gave her a swift nod before returning his much needed attention back to the road.

"Aim it low, get it under em!" he barked.

Kade let out a quick breath of air and jammed her knees into the seat, hoping for stability; convincing herself that he was trusting her new found aim a little too much. She raised the gun, trying to focus the sight underneath the blonde's truck; figuring to take out the higher threat. However, with the two vehicles swerving back and forth trying to force each other off the road, it was more a matter of managing to get either one.

She held her breath to steady her aim and fired. The disk underneath suddenly started glowing a bright orange around the outside as it launched, scraping across the asphalt for mere seconds before it disappeared underneath the second Hummer. In an instant, an explosion erupted from underneath it, releasing enough force to not just have the blonde's truck making a violent swerve toward the shoulder, but knocking her into the floorboard as well.

The Hummer went airborne as a huge ball of flames and smoke seemed to push it sideways, launching it clear off the road and into the brush; disappearing in a cloud of thick black smoke. She cursed herself for a moment as she struggled back into the seat, gasping for air as her side cramped painfully against her lungs. The blonde seemed to recover too quickly for her liking, accelerating to slam into them again.

"Hang on!" he warned, thrusting the wheel to his left.

She didn't have a chance to register what he said before she found herself being bounced around the back seat like a ragdoll, dropping the gun to the floorboard to hang on for dear life. The ground beneath them was unforgiving to the shocks, tossing the truck around with each dip that he hit. Kade looked out the back, seeing nothing but a thick cloud of dust behind them; and suddenly a huge Hummer grill.

He struck them again, but this time he didn't back off; the force of his truck pushing theirs along. Bucky strained against the steering wheel, trying to move it left or right to get out from in front; to no avail.

"Do something!" she begged.

"I'm trying, the damn steering is jammed" he growled.

Bucky suddenly heard the Hummer accelerate even further, looking up to see why; his whole body going rigid for a moment.

"Fuck" he breathed.

"Wha…" Kade trailed off when she looked up, seeing exactly what he saw…a drop off.

"B-Bucky?" she rasped, her breath lodging in her throat.

"Hang on" he hissed, yanking his seatbelt free and crawling back toward her.

Kade saw the expanse of the ravine unfold before her eyes, barely catching sight of the rapidly approaching river below before all she saw was darkness; and the warm embrace of his hold.

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The blonde hopped out of the truck, walking toward the ledge and looking below; watching the SUV disappear beneath the surface of the river. A satisfied grin crossed his lips and he spit over the side, releasing the gesture of a laugh through his nose. Two more Hummers pulled up behind him, and Sinclair hopped out from the passenger seat of the first, striding up to the edge and looking down into the river.

"Mission accomplished" the Australian grinned.

Sinclair grit his teeth and spun toward the blonde, bringing his right fist across the younger man's jaw; knocking him to the ground. The commander stared down at the sniper for a moment, contemplating the temptation to put a bullet in his chest cavity before he turned toward his men.

"Sergeant, get a team down there and sweep the shores…find him" he ordered sternly.

"You're wasting your time…" the Australian grumbled, slowly getting to his feet.

Sinclair turned his heated glare to the sniper, staring him down as he dusted himself off and flexed his jaw; a small patch of blood coming from his lip.

"…that's over a fifty meter drop into sub degree water…there's no way either of them survived that"

"He's survived worse, that kind of fall is nothing for him. As for her, we've made the mistake once of assuming her death…we're not making it again…and you…"

Sinclair turned and slowly walked toward the blonde, a vein protruding from his forehead in display of his underlying rage.

"…next time you run off and play cowboy, I'll shoot you myself, and save Victor the trouble. Now, if you want your payout crocodile hunter, then I suggest you get your ass down there and start looking!"

The commander turned on his heel, walking toward the Hummers and issuing a barking order at his Sergeant, who wasted no time in delivering orders to the rest. The blonde cast one more look down the ravine, narrowing his eyes in disgust.

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It was cold, and it was dark. Kade desperately tried to gather her thoughts, hoping she'd gather consciousness if she tried hard enough. She recalled the grill of the Hummer, pushing them toward the cliff. She remembered the river below, the warm hold of his arms as he grabbed her, then a loud crash echoed all around her. Her ears rang, her head swam and she swore she smelled blood; and just like that…the world was gone.

Time seemed slower, like she had been floating in the dark abyss for days, relieved by the lack of pain in her body, but scared by it nonetheless. A thought crossed her mind, that maybe this was it…maybe this is what death felt like. She was weightless, and there was no outside stimulation otherwise to give her any hint as to if she was just unconscious. The expected rush of panic just seemed to disappear as quickly as her memories. One by one they all seemed to evaporate like puffs of hot steam in cold air until she felt only one emotion…sadness.

The hot sting that drove into her chest went right down into her heart felt like somebody flipped a switch. Consciousness was thrust into her mind, the world crashing into her and bringing with it the only proof of life; pain. Kade came up, gasping for air as bright light flooded her eyes, choking out a mouthful of water that had settled in her lungs.

As her vision began to clear, she saw his face, looming over her, hair dripping wet and barely concealing a small gash above his left eyebrow; those blue eyes seeming relieved by her gaze. The stinging sensation in her chest became absent, but was replaced by the throbbing screams coming from her head and right side. Kadence continued to cough up spurts of water, trying her hardest not to break into tears when her body started shaking against the cold; further aggravating her injuries.

He pulled a syringe from his cargo pocket, pulling the safety cap free with his teeth; spitting the plastic out onto the shoreline. The sting of the needle was nonexistent as he pushed it into the underside of her elbow, and the warm sensation that followed was a welcome, if not brief, feeling.

"Come on, we can't stay here" he advised, tossing the empty syringe into the river behind them.

She let out a pained groan, trying desperately to get her muscles to follow orders as she tried to sit up; the waves of pain making her dizzy. He helped her to her feet, and started to walk forward, trying to move her along with him. Kade took one step and was met with blinding pain that shot out from her ankle and raced up her leg, nearly forcing her to her knees. Her breathing became ragged and strained, shaking uncontrollably against the cold bite on her skin.

"I…I can't" she choked, gasping for air between sobs.

Bucky practically pulled her back up by her arm, and she let out a quick howl of pain, gritting her teeth to keep quiet. With a quick shift of movement she found herself draped along his back, her arms slung around his neck, and his arms tucked underneath her knees to hold her up. She whimpered in pain as he adjusted her to rest properly, her forehead going down against his shoulder; hiding the tears that began to fall.

"Just hold on, and don't you dare fall asleep" he warned.

He trekked forward, getting a decent pace and keeping his feet on the rocky part of the shore.


	10. Chapter Ten: Fearless

_**Since it's Friday an all, and my cold is finally gone, I've decided to give you guys a present...double chapters! You guys are getting 10 and 11 tonight**_

_**Heads up, this chapter is the reason I rated this story M. There will be a maturity warning before things get...serious. I made it where if you reach that point and don't want to read the details, you can skip to the next chapter**_

_**I want it on the record, that this was possibly the most pain in the ass chapter I've written. Trying to keep him in character during that was a tad bit challenging, and I rewrote the ending about five times before I found one that works**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Ten: Fearless**

She lost track of time at several points, as if her body was trying to just shut down and she managed to reverse it at the last second. Kade vaguely remembered a point where he said something, jarring her back to reality, allowing her to realize that the serum he injected her with had finally taken effect; leaving only the threat of hypothermia.

When next she regained herself, she realized she was sitting down in the passenger seat of a car. Night had long since fallen around them, making it nearly impossible to see much of anything, save for the vague outline of the dashboard thanks to the dim overhead light. She saw him hunched over on the driver's side floorboard, striking open cables together. The engine sputtered and spat, backfiring twice before it finally rumbled to life.

Satisfied, Bucky finished twisting the wires together and hopped inside, slamming the door shut. His hand went for the air gauge, adjusting every knob to full blast heat. The car groaned against the abuse, stuttering in idle as if it were going to stall out.

"Hey, I said don't fall asleep" he warned.

He fought with the gear for a few moments before releasing the clutch and heading off down the highway; a single working headlight leading the way.

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Sinclair came up on the wrecked SUV that had washed up on shore several miles from where it fell; his Sergeant and the Australian standing nearby.

"Any sign of them?" the commander barked.

"No sir" the Sergeant replied quickly.

The commander shook his head, glancing at the Australian as he walked around the demolished vehicle. He assessed the damage, seen only by the lights strapped to their gear, which allowed them to search the riverbank in the dark of night; their breath came out in steamy puffs against the cold air.

"I warned you" he growled, inspecting the waterlogged interior.

"This doesn't mean shit, its twenty two degrees out here! If they didn't drown, hypothermia can be a real bitch" the blonde argued, fighting to adjust to the weight of his replacement rifle.

"So you're going to go on the assumption that they just washed down stream, is that it?"

"Exactly"

Sinclair threw his head back in laughter, which looked to strike cords with the Australian.

"Well, if that's your plan, by all means, stick to it…just let me know how it works out for you when you try to collect" the commander advised.

"What do you mean?"

"Victor isn't going to pay you a dime until he has proof…and last I checked you need a body for proof"

"Like hell, I kill her, you pay me, that was the deal!"

"The deal expired when you drove their truck off the side of a cliff!"

The blonde sneered and made a move for his rifle, but hesitated when the Sergeant pulled his own gun, aiming him down.

"Easy there Dundee…don't do anything stupid" the Sergeant warned.

The Australian narrowed his eyes at the Sergeant, gritting his teeth to express his distaste with the nicknames.

"I have no interest in the bounty, even if my men wind up killing her, she's yours…but the soldier is mine, do you understand?"

It took him a few minutes to contemplate an answer before the blonde finally relaxed his posture enough for the Sergeant to holster his gun.

"Whatever mate" the blonde retorted, making his way past the truck and down the riverbank, following the tracks of the unit that continued on.

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It was almost an hour before her violent shivering calmed down enough to sporadic shakes as she remained curled up as tight as she could be; her head resting against the back of the seat with her eyes closed. The heater had finally gotten the interior temperature to a comfortable medium, and while her clothes were still mostly wet, they were at least partially warm again.

"Where are we going?" she rasped, looking up at him; barely able to determine his features with the overhead light out.

"Somewhere safe" he replied.

Kade could tell something was off by the sound of his voice, it didn't sound as confident or demanding as usual, but rather the voice of someone who was tired. Silence followed, only because even if she did have the energy to question his motives, she couldn't find the reason to do it. Kadence looked out to the road, seeing nothing but a long stretch of back country highway. The scenery wasn't as desolate as she remembered, seeing darkened tree lines set back several feet away from both sides of the road.

"You know…don't you?" he asked in a near whisper.

She looked back over to him, seeing him maintain his attention with the road.

"What?"

"You called me by my name…once back at the compound and again before we went over…you said my name"

A heated blush surfaced on her cheeks as a tingling chill raced down her spine. Any attempt to explain herself was lost in her throat with the lack of her voice.

"How long?"

It took Kade a few moments before she regained the use of her tongue.

"That night at the apartment…I hacked HYDRA's file archive to get your data"

"Which would explain why you were suddenly so eager to help" he sighed.

She heard the slightest bit of strain in his voice, indicating he was holding back.

"Find anything you like?" he asked sarcastically.

"Only the important things" she replied.

The silence was deafening, and Kade felt incredibly uncomfortable for reasons different than wet clothes and a cramped car.

"So you know everything now…who I was, what I did…"

"Yes, I do…and if you think it's going to change my mind about helping you, you're wrong….Look, I know…I know you don't exactly trust me, and to be honest…I don't blame you. I spent nearly my entire life thinking HYDRA's great plan was going to help change the world, make it a better place, so much so that I joined their ranks when I was fifteen…fifteen for fuck's sake! Fifteen year old girls should be having boyfriends, going to the mall not…learning computer algorithms and setting motion for the new world order…"

Kadence paused, sucking on her tongue, gathering enough saliva to swallow and ease her parched throat.

"…you want to know the truth? You want to know why I feel the need to help you?...it's because you helped me…ten years ago in Berlin…that was when I finally saw the true nature of HYDRA, and what they were willing to do…what they were willing to destroy. I feel responsible…that it took me all that time to accept the truth…which is why…I owe it to you"

He said nothing, but she saw the flex of his jaw; his eyes staying fixated on the road. Kadence meanwhile felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest. She had been wanting to say that since Moscow, but never managed to work up the bravery; knowing that her excuse of pity would only convince him for so long. It baffled her how two near death experiences could change someone.

"You'd be the only one in HYDRA that feels that way" he finally replied.

Kade didn't bother holding back the satisfied grin as she pulled her attention out the windshield, watching the side rays of the headlight dance along the tree-line.

"Haven't you heard?…I'm not with HYDRA anymore"

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Bucky took a small dirt path off the main road, following it as it wound its way deep into the woods, although at times Kadence wondered if the two ton paperweight, as she called it, would make it up the pathway. With only a minor a bit of complaint from the car, they finally reached the end of the dirt road, coming up on a stone military bunker in the center of a clearing of trees.

He jammed the gear in park and pulled the emergency brake into place; killing the engine. Kadence managed to open her door, instantly regretting the decision when a cold blast of icy air danced across her skin, making her well aware that her clothes were still wet. She followed him toward the large metal door in the front of the building, holding her arms to her chest as the shivering started.

The door opened with only minor ease, she could see that in the way he strained; he then moved back and motioned her inside. Kade hesitantly stepped inside, unsure of her footing in the darkness of the entrance. Bucky followed her inside and shut the door behind him, sliding the lock bar across to secure it. His hand then went for the wall next to the door, testing around until he found the lever he needed; yanking it upward.

She flinched as a loud crack echoed out within the bunker, the overhead lights turning on; blasting her iris'. After taking a minute to adjust to the sudden wave of light, Kade took in the interior. It wasn't exactly like she was expecting. It was just as small inside as it looked on the outside. The entryway sloped down into an open center area, which had nothing more than an iron cage placed in the middle. He descended down the walkway, heading toward the cage, pausing a moment to look back at her.

Kadence sighed and followed suit, trailing behind him as he pulled back the sliding door, motioning her inside. She walked onto the floor of the cage, hearing a metallic echo with each step she took. Kade stared at the floor, puzzled as he walked inside, sliding the door shut and grabbing hold a button switch hanging in the corner.

An engine roared to life and suddenly the cage jolted, slowly lowering them into the floor. Her attention was officially peaked, inspecting all sides of the elevator as they went down several feet through solid concrete. They were finally lowered into a large open space, lit up brightly by overhead fluorescents. Once the elevator settled itself on the floor, he pulled the door open and stepped out; Kade following slowly, looking around wide eyed.

"What is this place?"

"Found it back in the sixties, first time my memories started coming back…starting using it as a hold-out"

"You remember?" she asked, giving him a puzzled look.

"Parts of it yea…I get bits and pieces, and I basically just fill in the gaps as I go. I do know that I was under constant watch…I always had a liaison…but in the times I could get away long enough, I'd come here with weapons or gear, install a few upgrades…they'd find me later, put me on ice, wipe my memory…I'd just find it again later"

"And they're just …clueless about it?"

"It was abandoned back in the thirties or forties I believe…they don't even know it exists"

She looked around, spotting a small kitchen along the front wall, complete with a fridge and even a stove. To the left was just an open area with a weight bench and several pieces of what looked like stolen gym equipment, including the huge punching bag hanging from the ceiling. To the right of the kitchen was a stretch of wall, sporting only two distanced doors; she gambled one of them was the bedroom.

Kadence then looked to the wall behind the elevator, and felt her heart tighten. The duffle bag from the truck had nothing compared to the arsenal on display in front of her. She spotted several pairs of hand guns, half a wall of assault rifles, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, a few rows of knives and another weapon that looked identical to the one she fired at the Hummer; complete with a row of reload disks.

"Normal people store food for an underground bunker…not an armory" she jested, gambling that the large storage bin placed in front of that wall was loaded down with ammunition.

"I'm not normal" he replied.

She bit her lip and looked over to him, her heart skipping a beat to see him staring back at her; unable to read his expression.

"Bathroom is the second door from the kitchen…clean yourself up" He stated flatly, motioning his head toward the door.

Kade said nothing, turning slowly to head toward the bathroom.

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The hot water cascading down her body felt just as divine as the pelts of pressure coming from the showerhead; soothing her aching muscles. She didn't care that the body wash, or shampoo and conditioner had 'For Men' stamped on the side of the bottle, she couldn't remember the last time a shower felt so good. It felt like she had scrubbed days-worth of sweat and dirt from her skin, never-mind the fact that was likely the case.

Her hand moved to rinse off the excess soap when her fingers ran over the small scar on her shoulder. She paused, tracing the thin line with the tip of her finger as if to stir the memories that came flooding back with it. The moment she woke up and saw that sinister face staring down at her, she thought then she was going to die…she had no clue he'd be the one to save her life time and time again.

Snapping herself out of her daze she cut the water off, wringing her hair out in an attempt to distract herself. Kade pulled the curtain back, watching the steam float around the room like a haze, the mirror fogged and devoid of her reflection; and the neatly folded black shirt on the edge of the sink. The gestures were subtle, maybe not intentional…but they were still human.

Kadence stepped out onto the bathmat, pulling a towel from the rail and draped it over her head. She stepped toward the sink, reaching out and swiping her hand across the mirror to clear the fog. Taking in a deep breath, she looked at the reflection staring back at her. It wasn't just the short hair, or the change in color, but rather her face…it was no longer that snippy analyst that left D.C.

A small, thin scar that ran alongside her right eye, the scar on her shoulder, the large fading bruise along her ribcage and the one splotching along her left hip; all just simple reminders that she'd likely never be able to go back to the life she had before. If by some miracle he decided to spare her, she'd likely spend the rest of her days under the radar, hiding out in secret tunnels and underground caves.

She shook her head free of the thought, rubbing the towel along her head to dry her hair. Kade moved the towel over her body, flinching slightly when she applied just a little too much pressure on her ribs. Finishing off her legs, she slung the towel back over the rail and reached for the shirt on the counter. Snapping it loose and inspecting it, she determined it would likely swallow her frame. She then noticed another article of clothing that had fallen to the floor when she picked up the shirt; eyeing a pair of black boxers at her feet. Kade shrugged off the initial embarrassment, making note that it was better than walking around with nothing.

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As she laid there on her side, staring intently at the wall, Kade slowly convinced herself that there was one primary reason she couldn't go to sleep. She was tired, bordering on exhausted, but while the pillow felt like heaven and the mattress was possibly the softest thing she had laid on in years, it was the soldier laying on the other side of the bed that had her nerves on edge.

She understood the fact that technically, this was his home, and that this was the only spot to sleep in the entire bunker…but that didn't help her from blushing damn near from head to toe when he walked into the room, half naked nonetheless, and just crawled onto the other side of the bed like it was normal behavior.

The last time she was forced to sleep next to him it was in the back of an SUV and both of them were very well clothed. It took several minutes before her heartbeat slowed back down to a steady rhythm; hours later however…she was still wide awake. What started to concern her was the sudden change in his breathing. His steady and level breathing slowly became uneven and slightly ragged, and to make matters worse, she could feel the slight twitches and jerks against the bed.

Kade's curiosity was killing her, and it was hard to imagine any other scenario than the only one that kept popping into her head. She never imagined him being the type to do that, but while he was a super soldier…he was still a man…and men have needs. She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, working up the bravery to speak.

"Bucky?" she whispered.

He didn't respond in either fashion, and his breathing didn't change. Her curiosity finally got the better of her and she slowly turned to look over her shoulder. Panic bubbled up in her stomach when she took him in. The blankets had been pushed down, pooling at his waist and exposing the ripple of his muscles with each ragged breath that he took. His skin was moist with sweat, his eyes were dancing madly behind his eye lids, and she could see the strain in his neck and forehead.

"Oh my god, Bucky" she breathed.

She reached for him, but hesitated, hearing the flex of his bionic muscles; her attention brought to the metal arm less than two feet away. Fear overtook her ability to move for a moment, and she watched helplessly as he started to thrash his head, the entirety of his body reacting to whatever had hold of him.

"Bucky!" she called.

He continued to trash, the muscles in his neck straining as he released a low growl. The urge to pull him out of his nightmare eventually outweighed her fear and she reached out, pressing her hand against his shoulder. She was forced to her back so quickly that she didn't have time to register what had happened before she was staring up at a pair of storming blue eyes with a metal hand gripped painfully around her neck. Kade instinctively fought him at first, clawing at his arm to try and free herself; his hips pinning her down making it impossible to buck him off.

"Bucky!" she choked, trying to get his attention.

She had never seen his eyes like this before, and she had seen her fair share of glares. It wasn't anger, or rage, or even hatred that stared back at her…she could only describe it as fear. Kadence felt his grip tighten and decided to take a chance. She relaxed as best she could, releasing her hold of his arm and staring back at him.

"Bucky…it's me" she rasped, slowly raising her hand toward his chest.

She saw his eyes dart back and forth nervously between her face and her hand, as if he was unsure of what to do. Kade felt a twitch in his fingers as she flattened her palm over his left breast, keeping it there; feeling the ripple of his scars underneath her fingers.

"It's okay" she soothed.

His heartbeat was thudding against her hand, and she wondered if hers was going the same speed. She looked back into his eyes, watching as that storm of fear slowly but surely subside; allowing the rest of him to wake up from his dream. The grip around her throat eventually loosened, and she saw his face shift dramatically when he seemed to process exactly where he was.

The look that came over him seemed to strike an unfamiliar nerve with her, and she had no reason or justification to her actions as she reached up, taking hold of the back of his neck to pull herself up, closing the distance between them; pressing her lips against his. She had kissed him once before, on the side of a desolate back road to keep him from getting involved in a fight with a van full of Russians. However, a quick peck on a stubbly jaw was nothing compared to the feel of his lips.

Her stomach twisted against the act of bravery, which resulted in a sudden lack of bodily strength. Kadence released her hold, and fell back down on the pillow, staring up at him; only slightly out of breath. There was no way he could bring to words the feeling that stirred to life inside him, it was like his restraint just snapped, and suddenly he wasn't in control anymore.

Before she had a chance to speak, his lips crashed down on hers in a bruising kiss, and her eyes went wide in shock. His weight settled down over her, and she had to admit, the feeling wasn't unpleasant. He shifted his body against her, forcing a surprised gasp; in which he took full advantage of. His tongue pushed its way past her teeth, claiming her mouth with unrelenting dominance.

The deepened kiss was almost dizzying, and she felt his human hand tuck itself underneath her shirt, fingertips grazing across her skin as they ventured north; roughly taking a handful of her breast. A soft cry left her mouth and his blood went cold. A jolt of pain radiated out from his forehead, and memories flashed before his eyes, memories he wished could have stayed suppressed; suddenly the woman below him wasn't Kade. Her skin was slightly darker, suggesting Indian decent, dark eyes that were red and swollen from the tears streaming down her dirt splotched face. Her dress ripped open, the cuts and bruises over her skin…and the choked whimpers, begging him to stop.

A cramp of nausea had him throwing himself back, desperate to get away from her as the haunting memories continued to torture him; even after the initial pain was gone. He sat up on his knees, holding onto his forehead with his right hand, shaking with part rage; his skin breaking with a fine layer of sweat.

"No…No" he growled, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and resting his forehead in his hands; still shaking.

Kadence remained motionless for a moment, taken aback by his sudden action; wondering what she did wrong. She slowly raised herself up, looking over at him and feeling a wrenching pull on her insides.

"Bucky" she whispered, cautiously reaching a hand toward him.

"Don't!" He snapped.

She recoiled, tucking her hand to her chest; still trying to figure out how to control the wildfire that was about to burn out of control.

"The things I'm capable of…the things I've done…if you even knew half of the truth…" his voice wavered, and she saw his muscles ripple as he strained against the stress.

Her stomach tightened and her heart stopped for a second, long enough for her to feel a tingling sensation dance across her skin. It all made sense now, only because the recollections of what they documented came passing through her mind. Mission reports and kill counts were only part of the record, being as whenever his handlers got bored, they used him as a means of entertainment with the locals…and often times took pictures; she had to choke down the knot in her throat before she spoke.

"You think I don't…or did you forget that I read your file? Christ Bucky, that wasn't you…The things that they made you do in Bangladesh was-"

"Shut up!" he snarled, snapping his head to glare at her.

Kade saw the flicker in his eyes, his jaw was set and his fists were clenched; she was walking on thin ice with a shark circling below.

"You don't know anything about me" he hissed.

Her mind reeled with a rush of anger, clenching her own fists into the sheets.

"I know that if you keep carrying the weight of wrongful blame on your shoulders, it's gonna kill you!" she barked.

There was an inkling of shock in his facial expression, but it was barely noticeable through the gritted teeth and flaring eyes. Kadence readied herself for the lashing she was likely to get, surprised when he just curled his lip and leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees; hanging his head.

She didn't know which emotion to have right now, anger or sorrow. He was a master assassin, a trained killer, and here he sat, broken and damaged to the point where it seemed the only feeling he could express without falling apart was hatred…and it was all thanks to HYDRA. Kadence despised them even more now, so much so that it brought a bitter taste in her mouth.

Taking a risk, she slowly scooted toward him; watching his body go rigid as she drew closer…but not making a move to stop her either. Kade took a breath and wrapped her arms around him, her left arm routing underneath his and resting her hand on his opposite shoulder, while the other hung down from his left shoulder; her fingers resting over the knotted skin where metal met flesh.

Kadence rested her forehead against the curve of his bionic shoulder, feeling the cool kiss of the metal. She felt his chest expand with each breath he took, and if she concentrated hard enough, she felt the rhythmic beat of his heart against the inside of her arm. Nothing made sense to her anymore, and on some level of logical thinking she was so far out of her element it wasn't funny. He drugged her, he tortured her, threatened to kill her on multiple occasions, and on equal amount of occasion he nearly did…yet here she was…holding onto him as a lover would in some desperate attempt to mend the pieces of his broken psyche.

Bucky's confusion was making his head spin. After everything he had done to her, after everything he put her though, she moved closer where as any normal person with an ounce of sanity would have run away screaming the first chance they got. His goal was simple, kidnap her, force her cooperation, then as soon as he got what he wanted, end her…how the hell did he get this far off track? Things like this weren't supposed to happen to him! He was conditioned to obey orders, he was ordered to do those things, it was his fault…so why was every fiber of his being telling him that she was right? He swallowed hard, his mouth unusually dry.

"How can you have so much faith in me…when everything around me dies?"

Kade was silent for a moment, but he felt her hold tighten ever so slightly.

"I'm still here" she replied.

And just like that, his whole perspective on their rather screwed up, captor/hostage relationship was shattered to pieces; as if it wasn't on the breaking point already. She held onto him for a while, but he could hear her breathing become unsteady; and her arms faintly trembling.

Kade did her best to calm her nerves, wanting so badly just to break down crying. How could anyone justify subjugating another person like that, breaking them down, tearing them apart until they were nothing but a hollow, obedient shell. To even imagine what he was feeling, to even try to understand what it felt like to think that way…it was heartbreaking. She felt a familiar sting surface behind her eyes, and she'd be damned if she let him see her cry.

She raised her head, placing a kiss over the red star imprinted on his arm, before finally releasing him; scooting off the bed.

"I need a drink of water" she lied, getting to her feet and praying her balance wouldn't make a fool out of her.

Truthfully, she'd give anything to pour herself a glass of alcohol that was strong enough to double as paint thinner. Just as she took a step forward, a metal hand wrapped itself around her right wrist, yanking her body around. Next thing she knew, her back was pushed forcefully against the bedroom wall. Her eyes went wide as she looked up at the man pinning her there, making her painfully aware of the height difference, and then before she had a chance to argue his motive, his mouth was on hers.

Again he forced a gasp of shock from her, and then his tongue was inside her mouth, with the same desperation as before; only this time it felt more real…like he intended to draw out her very soul. Kade nearly lost feeling in her legs, letting loose a soft moan as she tried to counter his movements with her own. The cool feeling of metal tucked itself behind her neck, and as heated as her skin had recently become, it was a welcome feeling.

He slowly separated himself from her, garnering him a stifled pout of disapproval. He ignored it, maintaining a very minimal distance between their mouths. Already she was breathless, flustered, and her eyes laced with the smallest hint of lust.

"I could hurt you" he warned softly, his tone low.

She was silent for a moment, as if trying to catch her breath or gathering the ability to speak.

"I don't care" she whispered, gazing up at him just as fearless as ever.

_X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X_ **MATURITY WARNING** _X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X_

It took only a second before his tongue was back in her mouth, his body pressing harder against hers. Her hands finally decided to obey her commands, drawing up the length of his arms, feeling flesh under one, and cold metal under the other; it was enough to have her heart hammering shamelessly within her ribs.

His right hand meanwhile, disappeared between them, forcing past the elastic barrier of her shorts and hooking a pair of fingers into her sex. Her fingernails dug into his arms and she cried out in shock of the sudden advancement; he swallowed it up eagerly. She felt his fingers move inside, slowly stroking her, and she was made aware of how aroused she had gotten during the first attempt.

Bucky continued his assault on her mouth, unable to sway his need to feel her. Each shift of his digits drove a pleasure gasp up from her throat, and the feel of her around just his fingers was already driving him insane. He continued to pump his hand against her, breaking the kiss just to move his mouth down the side of her jaw. Free from his mouth, her moans of pleasure spilled out into the room, dancing around his ears like a smooth jazz solo. He felt a lone hand thread itself behind his head, fingernails scraping across his scalp as she gently took a fist full of hair.

He gave her a lasting kiss to the side of her neck and moved back to look down at her; her hand remaining nestled in his hair. Her face contorted each time he moved, but the expressions she made, the look in her half lidded eyes; it was the tipping point. Bucky pulled his hand away abruptly, snagging the hem of the shorts with two fingers as he did.

"Take em off" he ordered, releasing them and moving for his own.

Kade complied, still hazy and slightly off balance from his earlier actions as she hooked her fingers into the sides of her shorts, pulling them down the length of her legs and kicking them off her feet. No sooner had she gotten back to a full standing position did both of his hands cradle her head, claiming her yet again with his mouth. She was convinced he was trying to get her to pass out at this point.

He ravished her mouth with his as those hands slid past her shoulders, down either side and rounded across her hips until they reached behind, gripping hold of her rear and hoisting her up. The vocal gasp that left her lips was hushed when her back was reunited against the wall, her legs instinctively wrapping over his hips, giving him unrestricted access. She looked down at him with this new angle, feeling a tingling race up her spine when she saw his gaze; clouded with lust. Both hands moved from her buttocks as his left snaked its way around her lower back, holding her up with ease.

Bucky guided her down, pushing himself into her at the same time, giving her no quarter until he was buried to the hilt. A keening cry came out from deep within her chest, and had it not been for the lustful gasps of breaths that followed, he would have regretted being so hasty; but there was no way he could stop at this point. He let loose a grunt, trying to catch his own breath and steady his nerves. She held onto him so tightly, and the heat from her depths was searing.

Kade saw stars explode in her vision as a shock of pain raced across her abdomen. She was a computer analyst, there was no shame in admitting her sex life was nearly non-existent. The last time she had been with a man was almost six years ago, and even with him being as rough as he was…Bucky was by far still a better experience.

Her hands went to his shoulders, bracing herself as he drove into her relentlessly, the forceful hold of his left arm around her back was bound to cause more bruises. She bent her head down, placing a chaste kiss at the corner of his mouth, as if asking for permission. He complied, parting his mouth and allowing her inside. Kade drove her tongue into his mouth, feeling his own muscle caress against hers. A deep growl rumbled up from his chest, and she swore she felt it vibrate against her skin.

The hand he was using to brace them had abandoned the wall, reaching up and taking a handful of her hair, forcing her head back. She unwillingly broke the kiss, yelping in part surprise and part pain as her gaze was thrown upward. His mouth occupied itself on the expanse of her fully exposed neck, kissing and nipping at her hammering pulse.

"Bucky" she whimpered.

He pulled them away from the wall, turning slightly and taking a step forward before he lowered them to the floor. Her breath hitched when the cool bite of the floor went right through her shirt, resting down on the thin carpet as he propped the lower half of her body up his thighs, a hand taking either side of her hip as he continued his thrusts.

The amount of pleasure running through her veins was dulled only by the bruising grip he had on her and the bite of the carpet against her shoulder blades as he continued to drive into her. Kade could feel his pace become slightly erratic, on the verge of desperate and the low growls that steadily got louder had her heart nearly ready to come out of her chest cavity.

He suddenly let loose a guttural shout and buried himself inside her one final time, holding his position as his release wracked his body. He came down, nearly over top of her had he not caught himself initially, the steady loss of muscle control forcing him down until he hovered above her, arms bent at the elbow; cradling over her head.

Kade was breathless, unable to feel anything from the waist down, and the rest of her still tingling. She could feel his hot breath on her cheek, and the strands of his hair tickled against her face. The smile couldn't be stopped and she used what strength she had left to lift her head just a little higher until their lips met.


	11. Chapter Eleven: What Happens Now?

_**Double chapter as promised**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 11: What Happens Now?**

Kadence woke slowly, not really sure when she fell asleep or even how long she had been down. She could feel the heat of his skin on her face, nestled beside him with her arm draped over his chest and her head resting against his shoulder. His arm was wrapped protectively around her body, as his fingers drifted slowly, back and forth across her hip; dragging the hem her shirt while he did it. Her fingers stirred to life and occupied themselves by tracing the dips and curves of his muscles, following his pecks, all the way toward the scars winding up his left shoulder.

Bucky turned his head, placing a chaste kiss on the peak of her forehead, then rested his chin atop her hair. She closed her eyes again, wandering into a state of bliss, letting everything else around her disappear, leaving just him and her in their moment of human weakness. However, as much as she didn't want to leave the recalling memories of how he held her, how he kissed her…how he claimed her body and soul…there was one still very important fact left to deal with. Kade opened her eyes, taking a steady breath as she prepared to quite possibly ruin a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"So what happens now?"

He was silent for a moment, seemingly processing the parameters of her question.

"What do you mean?" he asked, craning his head to look down at her.

"HYDRA"

Her one worded response was enough, and she heard him let out a sigh; resting his head back against the pillow. Kade looked up at him, watching his facial expressions shift as he gave himself time to think. She was actually surprised it took him that long to come up with a response, half expecting him to come vaulting out of the bed, shouting 'HYDRA must die!' and dragging her along.

"I'm too close to back down now…but they managed in setting us back. You said they were in Boroyzo, but that's still a hell of a lot of ground to cover without a solid location, and since your equipment got destroyed in the wreck…we're basically back to square one"

Kade didn't need superhuman hearing to catch the sorrow in his voice. They were close, so close that even she was getting excited, and then in an instant it was all gone. Her heart tightened, when her memory took into account the gravity of the loss. That laptop had everything on it, the software, the downloads, everything to get them to HYDRA, now washed down a ravine. She was smart enough to back everything up to an encrypted cloud, but there was no way she'd be able to get it without having access to her coding software. It was easy to mentally kick herself for not making a backup to a…local device.

Her eyes snapped open and she came flying out of the bed, which seemed to startle him being as he sat straight up. Kade wobbled for a moment, regaining her center of balance and use of her legs, hurrying over to the pile of her clothes that she had left by the door. She rifled through them until she found her pants, digging into the right pocket and feeling a swell of pure joy when her hands wrapped around the small silver flip phone. She got to her feet, her smile beaming as she approached the foot of the bed, holding the phone up triumphantly.

"What is that?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.

"I found it back at the first place we stopped. This model is at least…six, maybe seven years old…ancient in terms of technology, yes, but the fact is that these suckers are durable. I had one like it growing up, it survived two washing machine incidents…they don't make them like this anymore!" she stated, crawling up sit in the middle of the bed.

"Your point being?..."

"Back at the station, before we were getting shot at, I made an encrypted image of my laptop, zipped it…and transferred it to this phone...everything, my data, the software, the codes…all if it is on this phone"

She watched something seem to explode behind his eyes, and she made a gander if that was his expression of excitement. His left hand came around behind her neck, pulling her toward him with surprising gentleness, and crushing his lips to hers in a searing kiss. The action itself took her by surprise, but she welcomed it nonetheless; if what they had done a few hours ago wasn't proof enough, she was ready to admit he was starting to open up to her.

He released her, barely giving her enough time to recollect her thoughts before he gazed at her intently; determination etched across his face.

"What do you need?" he asked.

"First off…I need to let this thing dry out completely before I even attempt to turn it on…second…I need a computer and a USB cable to transfer this data back to so we can get up and running"

He swung his legs around, pushing himself off the bed and striding across the room to the dresser in front of the bed; Kadence was only momentarily thrown off by his present nudity.

"What about your little…satellite…thing?" he asked, grabbing a pair of boxer shorts from the drawer and pulling them on.

"We get close enough to Boroyzo and I won't need the satellite" she replied.

He fished a pair of jeans from the same drawer, yanking them up his legs and buttoning them. It felt so surreal to her, watching him get dressed while she sat on the bed dressed in nothing but an oversized t-shirt; most likely his. Deep down, in the recesses of her mind, she wished that they were back home in the U.S, and he was racing to get dressed because he was late for work. Kade hid the grimace as her stomach twisted into knots at the fleeting idea, praying he didn't notice. As he retrieved a long sleeve shirt, he turned to head for the door, allowing her to sigh quietly with relief; thankful he was too caught up in his own agenda.

"Oh, one more thing!" she called.

Bucky stopped in his tracks and looked back at her, eyebrows raised.

"If we're going to be trekking up to Boroyzo…I'm gonna need some actual clothes" she advised.

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The only thing Kadence seemed to be missing was music as she made herself useful in the kitchen, intent on easing the gnawing pains of hunger that radiated in her stomach. The cabinets themselves were nearly void of anything save for several cans of what she assumed was soup; being as she had yet to learn how to read Russian.

He had been gone for nearly two hours, in which she had expected since his little hide out was practically in the middle of nowhere. After taking apart the phone she went digging through the kitchen, hoping to find a roll of paper-towels at the very least; and was rather excited when she discovered a bag of rice in one of the cabinets.

With the cell phone drying out, she saw no harm in trying to make something to eat. Finally finding something to cook with, she opened one of the pop-top cans and emptied it into the pot. It smelled like tomato, and as the contents slowly started to heat up, she knew that plain tomato soup just wouldn't do; she had a chance to cook…she intended on cooking.

Within minutes she had thrown in salt, pepper, parsley flakes and a little bit of powdered milk; impressed she found that much in his barren kitchen. While it didn't taste like anything she was used to making, it was still a far cry better than before.

The elevator suddenly roared to life behind her, and her attention was directed to it until it lowered enough to show his face before she returned to the stove; stirring the soup. A loud echo came out into the room as the elevator locked itself down to the floor, followed by the cage door as he rolled it back and stepped through, striding toward the kitchen with baggage in tow.

"Will this work?" he asked, placing a large laptop bag on the island counter.

Kade turned the burner off and walked over, unzipping the side and pulling out a large silver laptop with TOSHIBA stamped on the lid. Her skin tingled with awe as she opened it, admiring the massive screen and flawless condition.

"Holy shit" she breathed.

"What?"

"I was expecting an eight year old Toughbook out in this area…not a mint condition i7" she laughed.

"Will it work?"

"Hell yea" she replied, digging through the bag to find several different sized USB cables.

"Good…"

Bucky pulled large backpack from his shoulder, tossing it on the counter next to the laptop.

"…Here's the clothes, hope they fit" he finished.

She nodded, then noticed him holding a paper bag to his side.

"What's that?" she asked.

He lifted the bag to hand it to her, looking only mildly disappointed.

"Well it was going to be breakfast, but it looks like you have that under control" he sighed.

She took the bag from him, inspecting the contents to find a loaf of rye bread and a hunk of cheese. Glancing back and forth she smiled, deciding to make the most of it.

"Grilled cheese and soup it is" she chipped.

"Need help?" he offered, moving toward the stove.

In an instant she put herself in front of them, gripping the bag to her chest protectively and raising her free hand in an innocent gesture.

"No, no, no…it's fine…I got it…I can handle it" she breathed, trying her best not to come off as desperate to keep him as far away from the kitchen as possible.

He looked at her with a puzzled expression, taking a step back.

"No offense but your cooking skills could seriously use some work"

His expression soured.

"I'm used to M.R.E's" he argued.

"Well, nobody's perfect"

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Kadence used the last bite of her sandwich to clean the remnants of soup from her bowl before tossing it into her mouth and turning back to the computer. She felt complete again, staring into the screen as it ran through multiple windows, long scripts of codes flowing along, and on top of that, she had a genuinely full stomach for the first time in about a week.

She grabbed the bowl and turned to place it in the sink before walking around the island; snagging the bag of clothes and making her way to the bedroom. Closing the door behind her she made her way to the bed, unzipping the backpack and dumping its contents onto the sheets. A pair of black tactical boots fell first, quickly followed by a pair of socks, a pack of underwear, a pair of blue camouflage cargo pants, a dark grey long sleeve shirt, a rolled up black parka and sitting at the very top of the pile…was a bra.

There was no use in hiding the blush that surfaced on her cheeks as she dropped the bag to the floor. Kade was unsure of what was more awkward, the fact he actually considered that particular piece of clothing, or the image in her head on how he acquired it. She picked it up by the strap, inspecting the black material; praising the gods it wasn't lace as she dropped it back on the pile and began to strip.

She couldn't deny the fact that there wasn't much left of her body he didn't touch last night, but it was impossibly impressive on how he managed to get her measurements exact; right down to her shoes. Tucking the parka under her arm she opened the door and started walking back to the kitchen to check her upload when she stopped in her tracks; suddenly unable to breathe.

He was by the armory, sliding three more bullets into a clip before he pushed it into the reserve pouch of a thigh holster. For her, it was like Berlin all over again, staring at the very image of nightmares. His black combat boots were tied over the cuffs of his tactical pants, knee guards strapped securely, a thigh holster on both legs with one holding his desert eagle, the other securing a hunting knife. His utility belt was loaded down with a pair of knives on the lower back, several rounds for a grenade launcher and even a few high intensity grenades. The Kevlar top sported both sleeves, and she could see the glove fitted on just his left hand.

However it was the face mask that caught her off guard, forcing goose-bumps across her skin, even under the long sleeve shirt. It took her a moment to compose herself, realizing she had no reason to fear that mask anymore.

"How much longer till you're ready?" he asked, grabbing the thigh holster as he walked toward her.

Kade moved over toward the laptop sitting on the counter, checking the screen.

"Looks like…another five minutes, then it-"

She was cut off when she felt his hands take hold of her upper thigh, yanking her to turn. Kade looked over to see him knelt down beside her, handing her a tactical belt.

"Put this on" he instructed.

Confused, she took the belt, tossed her parka on the counter and began running it through the belt loops of her pants as he secured the straps around her thigh.

"This is a glock 18, you've got two seventeen shot clips, one as a reserve, one already loaded, first round is already chambered. It's set for semi-auto, just like the desert eagle, but it's lighter and your recoil isn't as powerful, take that into consideration"

She secured the belt as he routed the top strap through it; snapping it down and giving it a quick yank to make sure it wasn't going anywhere. Satisfied he stood up, and walked back toward the armory.

"Umm?" she hinted, feeling only mildly awkward with the new found weight strapped to her thigh.

"Whether or not we find them, we'll still be getting close enough to get attention. They've already demonstrated their intent to kill both of us, so I plan on being prepared"

"You are aware that my aim isn't exactly the greatest…right?"

"You'll have it when it counts"

Kade looked over at the screen, seeing a window in the center displaying 'Upload Complete'. It was like she was eight years old again, when her parents told her they were leaving for Six Flags, her stomach twisted with anxiety and her skin tingled. It baffled her beyond reason as to why she only felt partially anxious instead of downright petrified.

"It's done" she stated.

"Let's go" he replied, slinging a large duffle bag over his shoulder and heading toward a side door.

She closed her laptop, hastily stuffing it into the bag and slinging it over her shoulder as she hurried to catch up; snagging her parka along the way. As she scampered across the room toward the door where he disappeared into, the thought crossed her mind as to how they got there; and what was likely their only way back down. Kade did her best to follow as he led her through a darkened hallway, that seemed to lead out into an open room; though she still couldn't see a thing.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but I have a feeling that car is not gonna go very far with all that gear" she stated.

"We're not taking the car"

"…We're not?"

The lights overhead came on and she squinted against them for a few moments until her vision cleared; her jaw gaping open when it finally did. Parked in the center of what looked like a garage, was a matte black, slant back, military Hummer. A long whip antenna was attached to either side of the back bumper, while the front had a reinforced guard and chain pulley; and stamped on the passenger door was a white HYDRA logo.

"This would have been nice to have to begin with" she grumbled, walking up to the truck.

"I forgot I had it" he replied, making his way to the driver's side.

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"Here, you'll need these where we're going" he advised, handing her a pair of gloves and a neoprene face mask.

Kade reached over, taking the items and placing them in her lap. She unzipped her parka halfway and took the mask, pulling it over her head until it was set in place, tucking it underneath her shirt. She made a quick readjustment to the ponytail that nearly got pulled off by the tight mask, then zipped her parka back up to her neck; shivering the entire time. Her fingers looked ghostly white and thin as she pulled the gloves over her hands, letting out a sigh of relief as they became nestled in the soft warmth of the gloves.

"They're made with thermaltek fibers, helps keep you warm in freezing temperatures"

"No shortage of that here" she remarked, gazing out the window.

The road was narrow, with a vaulting mountainside to the left, and a sheer drop to the right. She watched the mountains stretch on for miles in the distance, painted with snow and cursed with an overhang of dreary gray cloud cover. Kade felt frostbite nip at her entire body just thinking about it. She went for the sun visor, yanking it down to look at herself, seeing a somewhat familiar face staring back.

"Christ, I look like a female version of you" she grumbled.

Bucky glanced over at her, shooting her an annoyed glare. She looked back at him, trying to display innocence.

"What? All I'd need is…you know what, never-mind"

He turned his eyes back to the road, much to Kade's delight. The Hummer was almost too big for the road, a foot too far in one particular direction would end his mission rather quickly considering how far up the mountain they were, and by the looks of things, they still had a ways to go. Kade glanced at the GPS in the dash, remembering them passing Boroyzo at least an hour ago, right before everything turned into a winter wonderland.

"You know, you never told me where you remembered Boroyzo from"

"That's because I don't"

"But you said you were getting your memories back"

"It's not that simple. It's not like watching a movie, I can't just hit play and catch up on everything I've technically missed over the last seventy years. My memories come out in bits and pieces, fragments of my life that I'm getting from random points in time. It's like trying to put a puzzle together, but you're only given certain pieces at sporadic moments, sometimes you can fill in the blanks…others you just have to wait and hope that something beneficial comes crashing down into your head"

She let his words sink in for a moment, and then curiosity took hold of her again.

"Is that what happened last night?

His head shifted only slightly in her direction, as if imploring her to continue while keeping his eyes on the road.

"Last night, before we…um…before that, you looked like you were having a nightmare…and when I tried to wake you up, you acted like you didn't even recognize me…like you didn't see me"

Silence followed, but she saw him tighten his grip on the steering wheel. Seconds felt like hours before he finally answered, and even through the mask she could tell it was done through gritted teeth.

"What happened last night is the reason I don't sleep"

Kade raised her eyebrow in question, recalling the several nights she spent in his company that he slept through.

"What do you mean you don't sleep?...I've seen you sleep several-"

"I'm not actually sleeping. I just lay there, rest my body, keep my eyes closed to help me think…but I don't sleep…not if I can help it"

"If you don't mind me asking…why?"

Again he was silent, and she prayed she wasn't treading on too dangerous of ground.

"HYDRA wasn't in as much control as they thought. When I was captured back in Germany, Zola did something to me…he did something to my mind that made it impossible for their whole memory erase thing to really work…I'd eventually regain control, but not after I was forced to sit back and watch my life through auto pilot, while somebody else had the controls…I sat back and watched as hundreds of people died by my hands…some a little more painfully than others…"

Kade swallowed hard, trying to ease down the lump in her throat. It didn't matter how many times she tried, there was no getting over those images.

"…and when I go to sleep…I see them…I see their faces, I hear their voices, I…I can hear them screaming…begging for mercy…and then all I see is blood...innocent blood on my hands. I came to the conclusion that destroying HYDRA, may or may not wash the blood clean…but even if it doesn't…I know I'll feel ten times better"

His answer seemed to satisfy her, if not give her a small boost of cause; leaving her to gaze out the window at the mountains.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Where They Made Me

_**I think I might have over done it just a smidgen getting two chapters done in one night...In my own defense, even I'm at the edge of my seat now**_

_**Enjoy**_

**Chapter 12: Where They Made Me**

He scanned the area below, surveying the mountainside, following the path of the road until it led toward a large open area in front of a steel door embedded in the stone. The icy air whipped around him, throwing snow in every direction; indicating the storm was nearly right on top of them. He lowered the binoculars, staring down at the door that was now a tiny spec nestled in the side of the mountain; the grin that crept across his face was hidden underneath his mask.

Bucky stood and turned to walk back from the ledge when suddenly a spike of pain radiated out from the center of his brain and wrapped around to the back of his skull like an electrically charged vice grip. The pain was crippling and he fell to his knees, uttering a low howl as his head felt like it was going to explode.

Memories danced through his mind, visions blinding him as he was yanked back to the forties. He saw Steve there, both of them perched on a ledge similar to where he was now.

'_You remember when I made you ride the cyclone at Coney Island?'_

'_Yea, and I threw up?'_

'_This isn't payback is it?'_

'_Now why would I do that?'_

There were others behind them, five more, they looked so damn familiar. He saw a zip-line, leading down to a set of railroad tracks. Boarding a HYDRA train, the man in the strange suit…then he fell.

'_Sergeant Barnes'_

'_You will be the new fist…of HYDRA'_

The whirring of surgical tools, the crackling of electricity, he could see the room they kept him in, he saw the facility, the snowy mountain peaks; and the map mounted on the wall…Boroyzo was the closest town.

Bucky yanked off his mask, feeling like he was going to puke as he struggled for breath. The memories stopped and he came reeling back to the present, but the pain took a little longer to ebb away. His head was throbbing and his whole body seemed to be vibrating with the remnants of pain he hadn't endured in decades; but after that episode…it was obviously still fresh on his mind. It took him several minutes before he finally steadied his nerves and his breathing enough to get to his feet again, putting his mask back on as he continued forward.

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Kade typed in a few more commands on her computer, following the lines upon lines of code as it spilled onto the screen. Behind the mask she was worrying her lip, as a method of distraction or preparation, she wasn't sure just yet. The sound of packed snow crunching beneath boots snapped her attention behind her, seeing Bucky come around into view; learning from experience to never assume.

"Well, we're close, I can say that much" she shouted over the howl of the wind.

"How close?"

"The signal strength is through the roof, the main broadcast point is centered somewhere in this mountain. Finding a way in…that's a whole different ballgame entirely"

"I found a way in"

She glanced back at him, staring at him for a moment in disbelief before she slowly turned back to her computer.

"Well…I guess that's taken care of"

"So even on their doorstep you can't just hack in?"

"It's a little more complicated than that. I can hijack their signal, hack into their mainframe yes, but when it comes to taking full control of their system…that's where it gets complicated"

"How complicated?"

"The safety protocols, the firewall, everything is dynamic, its custom. The coding that was used to develop this system and protect it was designed with this particular motive in mind. I'm able to hack in and copy files, only because I know the parameters of the system, I know how to hide…but to take something out?...It's just not possible unless I'm actually at the mainframe. I should know…my father was the one that designed the damn thing"

"So you need to get inside, is that what you're saying?"

"Yea…why?"

"Get in the truck" he growled, moving toward the driver's side.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked, hastily closing her laptop.

"I'm gonna go ring the doorbell"

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Kade felt the wave of the blast rip around her legs from underneath the Hummer and even with her hands pressing the hood of her parka against her ears, it was still deafening. A billow of thick smoke was swiftly carried away by the swirling wind as they made their way from the cover of the truck, approaching the door.

"You aren't worried about starting an avalanche?" she asked, keeping her voice raised over the storm.

"If I bury them under a mountain worth of snow and rock it's just a plus" he responded.

He strode for the door and thrust his foot against it, forcing the huge steel block open as it groaned loudly against its hinges. A tactical AK-47 was raised and aiming before his foot settled back on the ground, cautiously stepping through the doorway as it opened into a long hallway that looked to split off onto two sides. The caged floodlights lining both sides of the upper walls were on at least…but dim. His eyes scanned all the way down the hall, seeing the slate gray stone walls and ceiling, the concrete floor looking as if it hadn't seen traffic of any kind in quite some time; the smell reminding him of an old abandoned missile silo he hid in during one of his relapses.

"Clear" he called, lowering his gun down across his body.

Kadence finally entered in behind him, keeping pace at his flank as he walked forward. She pulled the neoprene mask down to bunch at her neck, wrinkling her nose at the stale smell that invaded her senses. He raised his gun again as they approached the end of the hallway, keeping his back along the right wall; Kade following suit. After checking down the left, seeing nothing, he swung himself out and aimed down the right side; again seeing nothing but another long stretch of hallway.

She didn't move until she saw him lower his gun, indicating that it was clear. Bucky nodded his head in motion for her to follow as he started down the hall; nerves at the ready in the event he was forced to use his weapon.

"I need to get to the primary control room, the computer there will be hooked directly to the server. I get in there, I can do my best to hack it" she advised, her pace slightly quicker to keep up with his long strides; struggling to pull the small Maglite from her the pocket of her parka.

"Your best?..."

"Look, I didn't make a habit of actually breaking into HYDRA okay, it's going to take some time"

"How long?"

"Optimistically speaking…twenty…maybe thirty minutes"

He glanced back at her, and she could see the disapproval in his eyes.

"Look it's not as easy as they make it in the movies okay, there's no typety, type, bam! You're in…this is complex coding that is designed to be uncrackable"

"If I remember correctly, they said the same thing about the national defense database…and you blew them right out of the water"

"Yea well the NDD, FBI…hell even the CIA…their system is a joke compared to HYDRA's. It's not just reinforced with the knowledge of those weaknesses, but it has a built in failsafe…you screw up one command, and that's it, you're locked out, it takes hours to reset"

"Great" he muttered sarcastically.

"And that's not the worst part…" she hinted.

Bucky slowed to a stop, forcing her to stop as well; his glare out the corner of his eye indicating he wanted an explanation.

"…the moment I get in there, they're gonna know…and they're gonna have every analyst they have scrambling to undo everything and rewrite the codes…they are going to do everything they can to stop me…which is why it might take a while"

"Some good news would be really appreciated"

"Well…if I can get into the primary database, I can write myself into the code as a system admin and lock them out completely…from there it's just a matter of luck"

He partially turned to face her, his brows furrowed.

"We, mostly you, have had nothing but bad luck, and you want to gamble on it?"

She shrugged her shoulders, elevating her arms with it in a defeating gesture. His brows relaxed, if only just to replicate her gesture with his own. He rolled his eyes and moved to start walking forward again; hearing her follow in behind.

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They walked along, her flashlight guiding her way at the very least, being as he seemed to have no issue at all seeing in the dark. Kade's exasperation was released with a sigh as they turned down yet another corridor, seeing each hallway look identical to the one they just came out of. They passed several doors, most of them locked, others just open to small offices, completely cleared out and abandoned.

"This doesn't make any sense, the signal I picked up came from inside this mountain, it should be here…and there was no way it was a relay jump…it was too damn strong…it had to be the primary broadcast…"

She mumbled to herself, her flashlight dancing around the halls as she inspected their condition.

"…If this is supposed to be their secret base, where the hell is everybody?...Christ this place doesn't look like it's seen any traffic in decades, what the-"

Her rant was cut short when she collided with a solid form that was otherwise unmoved as she shuffled backward rather awkwardly.

"A warning would be nice" she snipped.

Kade looked up at him, taking in the look of him near frozen in place, his attention turned toward a doorway to their right. She directed her flashlight to follow the gaze of his eyes, seeing an open doorway. He moved toward it, seemingly in a trance.

"Bucky?" she asked, glancing around nervously as she followed.

The room exploded in size, going back twice as far as the other rooms did. Vaulted ceilings were outfitted with large surgery lights overhead. The tile walls sported various racks and hooks, still holding a variety of surgical equipment. As she walked inside, she saw a hospital bed pushed against the right wall, a shiver racing up her spine when she saw a large, old bloodstain inked across the white bed-sheet tossed on top of it.

Her flashlight darted to the left, a lump forming in her throat when she took in the sight of the very same seat from the archival photos. It reminded her of a dentist's chair with several straps hanging down from the back and an overhead rigging attached to the side. Attached to the rigging was a set of straps and hooks, meant to secure someone's head inside. She felt the goose-bumps break out down her arms and it was nearly impossible to swallow.

"Oh my god…this is…"

"This is where they made me" he finished.

Kade looked up to see him at the end of the room, standing in front of a large, black iron stasis tube; a small circular window mounted in front. Several large canisters had been hooked up to the machine through tubes and cabling.

"This is where they took everything away from me!" he snarled, slamming his fist into the door of the tube; the iron bowing under the pressure of his punch.

She flinched as the sound echoed within the room, and she swore she heard it ring out in the hallways behind her. Kadence took a deep breath to steady herself, hesitantly walking forward. Bucky suddenly let out a pained howl, dropping to his knees, gripping his head with both hands.

"Bucky!" she cried, running over to him.

"Stay away!" he barked, slamming his metal fist down into the floor.

She skidded to a halt less than three feet away, watching on in horror as he panted and strained in pain on the floor; still holding on to his head. Kade felt helpless, training the flashlight on his hunched form as he continued to release guttural grunts and shouts of pain.

Bucky expected his memories to start coming back, but not so quickly in between episodes. It seemed that every recollection was even more painful than the first. He wished they were as easy to accept as when they first started happening, feeling like nothing more than quick bursts of pain across his forehead; now it felt like somebody was taking a jackhammer to his brain every time a memory was triggered.

He recalled sitting in that chair on the other end of the room, straps tied around his head and chest, the currents of electricity that shot throughout his body, the needles, the knives…then back to cryo he went. Just as quickly as it came on, the visions were gone, and slowly but surely the pain went with it; leaving behind a killer headache.

Kade took another step back as he started to get to his feet, holding his position until his breathing leveled out. Bucky turned toward her, feeling a pang of sorrow to see the look on her face; she was worried.

"I know why I remembered Boroyzo…it's because of that map" he stated motioning his head to her right.

She turned and directed her flashlight toward the chair, spotting a map mounted on the wall nearby.

"When they were trying to wipe my brain…I saw that map, and I saw Boroyzo, with a flag pinned on top of it…it was their supply town"

"So this…"

"This was their base of operations back in the forties…this is where HYDRA was born"

Kade let out a sigh of disappointment, her flashlight lowering to the floor.

"So the signal I found was just a ghost"

"No, they're here…" he stated, adjusting the straps of his weapons.

"…they never left…they just upgraded"

With that he strode back out of the room, leaving Kade to scramble in behind him, hoping that his statement meant he knew where he was going this time.

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"You…are all INCOMPETENT!" The Russian howled, sweeping his arm across his desk and throwing everything to the floor; computer monitor included.

Sinclair and the Australian just stood there, both flinching as the entirety of the desk went to the floor in a clattering heap, though neither dared say a word or move otherwise. Victor however glared them both down, the veins in his neck as well as two on his forehead looking like they were going to burst.

"I give you a simple task…one simple task, and the level of your failure borders on the apocalyptic!"

Again, neither dared move as the heated gaze burned into both of them until he zeroed in on the Australian.

"The level of my disappointment in you Mr. Taylor is beyond measure…you are due on the first flight back to your home station, and if I so much as hear one peep of misconduct from you, I will give you a demonstration as to how easy it is for me to employ better snipers…now…GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

The blonde quickly turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving the commander alone with Victor. The Russian sat down in his chair, his labored breathing suggesting he was doing his best not to reach over his desk and strangle him. Victor pressed his fingers together in front of his face, raising a deadly glare as he spoke.

"When I gave you the order to end her…you assured me that your men in DC could handle it…then you report to me that she's been taken care of…I found it a little strange that I wasn't presented with proof, but I trusted your judgment…then I find out she isn't dead after all…hacking my network, downloading files, and running around Russia with that _mistake_, you think you can control! So I give you a chance to redeem yourself…and you fail me a SECOND TIME! SHE'S A COMPUTER ANALYST WITH NO MILITARY BACKGROUND, I DID NOT REALIZE SHE'D BE SUCH A PROBLEM FOR YOU!..."

Victor's face was a dark red as his voice boomed, echoing in the room. Sinclair only mildly flinched against the assault to his ears.

"…you are lucky I don't have you assigned as meter maid in Cuba after this absolutely epic fuck up!" The Russian finished, leaning back in his chair as if to calm himself down.

A swift knock on the door, did enough to startle Sinclair.

"WHAT!?" Victor howled.

The door opened, and a young man dressed in a uniform similar to Sinclair's entered, holding several large printed photos in his hand.

"Sir…" he stated, addressing the commander.

"…there's something-"

"Not now Reed" Sinclair barked, cutting off the younger man.

"Sir, I think you'll want to see this" Reed urged, holding out the photos.

Sinclair let out a long sigh then turned, snatching the pictures from the younger man's grasp.

"Scouting drones took those photos not ten minutes ago, along the southwest side of the mountain, by the abandoned service entrance" he advised.

The commander sifted through the photos, seeming unimpressed. He gritted his teeth and offered them back to Reed.

"It's one of our assault trucks…big deal, now get back to your post" Sinclair ordered.

"Sir we ran the ID stamp on that truck…it was decommissioned four years ago after being listed as missing" Reed stated.

Sinclair glanced up at Reed then back down at the photos, flexing his jaw and exhaling through his nose. The commander then turned his attention to Victor, who still looked extremely livid.

"Looks like I don't need to go hunting for him…he's come to us…" Sinclair stated.

He turned to Reed, shoving the pictures into the younger man's hands.

"Assemble the strike team, put everyone on high alert, I want this place on lockdown you hear me, nobody gets in or out without my say so!"

"Sir!" Reed barked, saluting the commander and bolting off.

Sinclair moved to follow, but before he could cross the threshold of the door, Victor spoke up.

"Sinclair…if you do not return with their bodies…I will kill you myself" he warned, his voice dripping with rage.

The commander nodded swiftly, then took off after Reed.

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Kade ducked back behind the wall as a spray of bullets impacted against the corner, crouching down low and using her arm to shield her face as chips of concrete exploded near her face. She looked up just in time to watch one of the men he had been dealing with go flying past her, his spine nearly folding backward as he hit the railing and tumbled down over the side; his scream fading as he fell.

"I can't get a clear shot!" she shouted over the gunfire, her hands wrapped around the glock.

He walked up toward the opening of the hallway, otherwise unaffected by the scrap he had just finished with; the remaining six men dead on the ground. He pulled a grenade from his utility belt, yanking the pin free and giving it a good toss over the corner. The shower of bullets stopped instantly as several men shouted their warnings, given no time at all before the device went off. Kadence barely covered her ears in time, bracing herself against the blast as it released its destructive force on any poor soul in range.

They had finally come to large set of double doors, opening out into a short hallway that spilled into a massive center area that give a core effect down several levels into the depths of the mountain. Each floor ledge came out in a wide circle, allowing one to lean over and look straight down for at least one hundred floors…if not more. The moment they did reach the ledge however, Kadence got a first-hand glance of how many were holding down the base as patrols started opening fire on the intruders. Just as they took cover and started returning fire, a side door opened, releasing seven uniformed recruits that seemed to have had their lunch interrupted by the fire fight. Bucky took advance, dealing with the unwanted assistance rather quickly as she tried her hardest to help return the favor of bullets being delivered by the patrols.

As the ringing in her ears finally subsided, she slowly got to her feet, hesitantly moving toward the edge to peek out; seeing nothing but a charred metal railing, a large blast dent in the wall…and three blackened bodies. He walked out in front of her, heading down the left side, gun aimed at ready, sweeping his sides. Kade followed, her gun lowered, but her grip steady; her finger resting close to the trigger. They moved along the circle, reaching another hallway that led down to the left, opening into a set of elevator doors.

"Where is this room of yours?" he asked sternly.

"Mainframe rooms are kept low, often underground, utilizing the cooler temperatures to keep the servers from overheating"

Bucky said nothing, moving for the elevator and pressing the lower button. The button lit up, and they could vaguely hear the whirring of cables as the elevator drew closer to their floor; though he could hear it slightly better.

A soft chime echoed out and the doors slid open, exposing a middle aged man, dark brown hair and full beard wearing a knee length lap coat. Bucky fired off before the man had a chance to realize he had a gun aimed at him, putting several holes in his chest. He was practically thrown back, hitting the wall and sliding down in a heap; twitching momentarily before a long sigh escaped his mouth.

He walked inside the elevator, turning to face the outside as he waited for her to join him. Kade curled her lip and tip toed in after him, careful to avoid the man's limbs as she took her place inside, mashing down on one of the lower level floors.

"You'd think by now I'd be used to this…but no" she grumbled as the metal doors closed.

The chime echoed out with each floor they went down, and her eyes went to the digital read out on the upper right corner; 78…77…76.

"You get to that room, do whatever you have to get into the mainframe, then I want you to wipe everything…all of it…get rid of it" he instructed, adjusting the straps of one of his weapons.

She snapped her head in his direction, eyeing him carefully.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to draw their attention, keep them occupied on the lower levels…just make sure you're ready to move when I come back up…I'm giving you thirty minutes"

"Were you listening when I told you it could take longer than that? Why the hell do you need it done in thirty minutes?"

"Because in thirty one minutes, this entire base is going to start the self-destruct sequence"

Kade paled, and it was like someone had a vice grip on her vocal cords; nearly making her drop her gun.

"You can't be serious" she rasped.

"You will have enough time to wipe everything they have…then I plan on bringing this mountain down on top of them"

The determination in his voice was only mildly unsettling, and she swallowed hard.

"What happens if you don't come back in time?" she asked, barely able to recognize her own voice.

"Then you get the fuck out…understand"

Her chest constricted painfully, hearing him answer her without a second thought, as if he expected her to just accept his decision. She slowly turned her attention back toward the digital screen…52…51…50; it was like it was counting down the seconds until her sanity ruptured. Gritting her teeth, she finally caved, nearly tripping over a set of legs to push him against the wall of the elevator. His expression was nothing short of shocked when she all but ripped the mask from his face, throwing it to the floor and crushing her lips to his.

Bucky froze against her sudden assault, processing her actions. It took him only a few seconds before he responded to her, releasing the trigger of the rifle now trapped between them to cradle her face. She wanted so badly to deepen the kiss, she wanted to feel his arms around her once more, as if her mind was convinced it would be the last time.

Kade mustered up the ability to separate from him, keeping her lips just a breath away from his; gritting her teeth again to keep the threat of tears at bay.

"Try not to be late" she stated.

She backed up slowly, keeping her eyes on him…at least until her heel collided with a leg and she went backward. His hand shot out, taking a handful of her parka, and holding her up until she corrected her footing; her heart up in her throat regardless.

"Try not to get yourself killed" he advised.

Bucky waited until she regained her balance before he released her, leaning down to retrieve the mask she threw to the ground. He raised it back to his face, securing it down before his hand went back to the gun; readying himself as the floor numbers steadily got lower in value.

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The chime rang out and Bucky came striding out of the elevator, gun aimed as he scanned the hallway. Kade came out soon after, keeping her back tucked to the right wall as they came down the short hallway. As he neared the left corner, she caught sight of what appeared to be a set of windows set on either side of a door along the wall ahead of her. She slowed her pace, leaning forward ever so slightly to try and peek inside; swearing under her breath to see nothing but her reflection in the dark tinted glass.

She took a step forward, inspecting the writing branded on the top of the heavy metal door, and a rush of adrenaline burned in her veins. 'Server Room: Restricted Access'

"Jackpot" she stated, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Kade tried the handle, feeling her initial joy ebb away when the lever didn't give; her eyes falling to the fingerprint scanner mounted above it.

"Back up" he instructed.

When she looked up at him, his gun was aimed in her direction. She threw herself back just in time for a spray of bullets to demolish the lock and handle both. In an instant, he strode forward, thrusting his foot into the center of the door; throwing it open. He swept inside, and she prayed that he wouldn't find anyone; fearing that whatever he destroyed in this room would screw them royally.

"Clear" he called.

Kade came inside, feeling the cold chill of the room the moment she stepped forward, seeing rows upon rows of server racks lining the length of the room, from floor to ceiling. Further inspection brought her to a terminal centered on the far right, in front of the tempered glass window that lined the entire right wall.

She wasted no time, striding toward it and pulling the laptop from her bag. Distant shouting caught both their attentions and she glanced back at him, seeing he was already posted at the door; a death grip on his gun.

"Thirty minutes…get to work" he instructed.

Just like that he left the room, and she watched as he walked out to the ledge, opening fire to the right. She flinched when the pings of bullets struck the glass, alerting her of the group of soldiers that had emerged from a hallway, engaging him with gunfire. Concerned eyes went back to where he was, and she watched him grip the railing and vault himself over.

Her stomach lurched violently, and it was hard to remind herself that he knew his limits; he knew what he could survive. The soldiers scurried around the pathway circling the center gap, guns aimed down, some of firing off in hopes to hit him as he led them down a level. His plan seemed to work, being as none of them even bothered to check the server room, racing around after the intruder.

Kade took a steadying breath, and fired up her laptop, taking a moment to sift through the mass of cables in her bag before she found the ones she needed. With everything hooked up and ready she cracked her knuckles and placed her hands over the terminal keyboard.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Leading The Pack

_**Apologies for the delay on this chapter, not only did work seriously kick my tail, but I had a massive brain fart in the writing department side of things**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 13: Leading The Pack**

"Tell Meyers I want his unit reinforcing D block, 21st floor until he's neutralized…Rico, he's moving down corridor C, heading for the north stairwell, pin him down for fucks sake!" Sinclair barked into the headset.

The commander was crouched over the back station desk with his eyes focused on the wall sized display that faced the rows of stations that was composed of the command deck. Six rows total with nearly ten stations on each row, each analyst posted at a station bearing a headset and working frantically to route their counter attack and keep the base operational.

Security cameras gave Sinclair and the others second by second updates as to his location as he moved within the base, taking out everyone that came up against him like it was nothing but child's play. As he dipped out of view from one camera, another shifted into primary view that had him in plain sight. Sinclair watched as three of his best men confronted the soldier, each taken out within seconds of each other.

"The hell are you ladies doing out there!?" Sinclair howled into the headset, slamming his fist down on the desk.

"Obviously demonstrating to you the importance of following orders" Victor growled.

Sinclair brought his posture to a full stand, his fists clenched, his jaw set, but not acting out on his anger in the least as the Russian approached.

"If you had put him down when I told you to…we wouldn't be having this problem would we?" Victor stated, staring down the commander.

The commander said nothing, drawing his eyes back to the main screen. They watched as yet another group of men confronted the soldier, and fell like paper dolls under his feet.

"Seal off the secondary stairwell, force him back" Sinclair ordered.

"Yes sir" one of the analysts replied, inputting a series of commands into his computer.

The video feed followed the soldier as he bolted down the hall, heading for the stairwell when a reinforced blast door came down in front of him, effectively cutting off his route.

"Jacobs, he's cornered in E block, get the launchers-"

Sinclair's words were killed in his throat when the door suddenly came back open, allowing him to bolt through.

"I told you to seal it!" he snapped.

"I did sir, the command was overridden somehow" the analyst responded, sounding worried as he madly tried to regain control.

"What do you mean overridden?" Sinclair seethed.

"Sir there's been a network breach" another analyst piped up.

"You think? Fix it!"

"Trying sir…they're…pretty skilled"

"Isolating threat…shit, they keep rerouting, I can't focus on their signal"

"Where is it coming from?" Victor snipped.

"For them to be moving this fast, it has to be internal sir"

"Kill connectivity in every non-essential terminal" the Russian instructed.

"I already did sir, they must be operating from the primary server room"

"We've just lost utility control" another analyst stated.

"Emergency procedures are being overridden. Security systems and fire safety protocols have just gone offline"

"Will somebody please do their fucking job and take care of this!?" The commander snarled, yanking his headset off and throwing it down on the desk.

"They're going after the mainframe!"

"Code in a defender before they-"

Suddenly, every computer screen went blank, including the large display on the wall.

"The fuck just happened?" Sinclair growled.

"The mainframe was breached…we're locked out" one of them stated, his voice shaky.

It was then that an image surfaced on every single screen, displaying a jester's face with an abnormally large toothy grin; the bottom jaw bouncing up and down in implied laughter.

"McMillen, Sostre, you're with me" Sinclair barked, turning to leave.

"Commander" Victor barked.

Sinclair stopped in his tracks, clenching his fist; the two soldiers behind him nearly running into him.

"My statement still stands…bring back a body…or I'll have yours" Victor threatened.

The commander said nothing as he sent one last glare toward the Russian; disappearing out the secondary door with his escorts. Victor turned his attention back to the screen, narrowing his eyes at the laughing face.

"Sir?" one of the analysts spoke, sounding like he was going to lose his voice.

He drug his tongue across his top teeth, exhaling slowly.

"Tell the senior analyst to report to the server room" Victor stated, turning to head out the door to the right.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to go deal with a Jester" he replied coldly.

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Bucky held his back against the wall as bullets dusted the concrete corner directly to his left. His right arm was extended out, holding one of his knives into the throat of an agent that turned the wrong corner in his effort to avoid the gunfire. The agent let out a gurgled gasp as another spurt of blood shot out from over his knuckle before his weight started to pull him down. Bucky pulled the blade out, letting him fall to the ground in a heap; waiting until the gunshots paused long enough for him to turn the corner and hurl his knife.

A sickening thud rang out as the blade found its mark, burying itself into the lower part of the soldier's neck; just above the protection of his bullet proof vest. Bucky slowly approached as the soldier released strangled gasps for air, dropping his gun and falling to his knees; unsteady hands slowly reaching for the hilt. He took hold of his knife and pulled it from the soldier's neck as he walked by; a stream of blood flowing out from the hole in the front of his throat.

He slung his knife across to clean off most of the blood before he sheathed it back on his side. Bucky strode down the corridor, heading for the service door ahead, reading the sign mounted above the doorway…'Control Room'. His steps halted as another hallway appeared to his right, and for a moment he held his ground, before finally turning to face the three men standing just ten feet away.

To the right was a taller, Caucasian man with blonde hair shaved down nearly to the scalp. One the left was a lean built Hispanic, a black goatee tracing down from a thin mustache. Behind them was another, middle aged, buzz cut black hair with signs of aging around his ears; and a scar leading from his forehead down to his throat.

Bucky turned to face them, eyeing them carefully, making quick assessments of his targets. The blonde held no threat in his eyes, meaning he was calm and calculating. The Hispanic was gritting his teeth, glowering at him, suggesting he was more volatile and aggressive; making him unpredictable. It was the man in the back that had Bucky ready to kill, seeing that same dominating look that Pierce had on more than one occasion.

"McMillen…Sostre…Take him" Sinclair stated calmly.

The front men advanced, and Bucky threw himself into a defensive stance. Sostre came at him first, but was quickly countered as he thrust his boot out, connecting with the Hispanic's chest, sending him backward. The blonde advanced in a side step, his fists poised as he closed the distance between them. Bucky struck with his right, only to be blocked by McMillien's left, who used the exposure of his center to bring his right hand into his ribs with a set of three strikes.

Amused, Bucky brought his left fist around, nailing the blonde in the side. McMillen let out a struggled gasp as the wind was forced from his lungs, doubling over in pain. Bucky brought his knee up, driving it into the blonde's face and in doing so, driving the front of his skull into his frontal lobe; killing him. McMillen's body barely hit the ground before Bucky blocked a side kick from Sostre, catching his ankle with his left hand.

A quick flick of his wrist and the Hispanic howled in pain as his ankle shattered under the soldier's grip. Bucky then thrust his arm backward, throwing Sostre off balance and yanking him to arms reach. He grabbed hold of the back of Sostre's neck, securing him down as his right hand took hold of the Hispanic's face, slowly pulling his head back. Sostre groaned out in pain, his arms flailing around to grab onto something in some desperate attempt to stop the soldier.

With a final pull backward, a low crunch echoed out from below him, and the man below went limp. Bucky released him and slowly got to his feet, ready to face the third man when suddenly a fist appeared in his vision, striking him hard across the jaw.

Sinclair watched as the soldier stumbled back, his face drawn down from the impact; a metal clanging reaching his ears. He took a steady step back, readying a defensive stance; completely ignoring the bodies below. The soldier finally straightened himself, slowly turning his gaze toward the commander. It was then that Sinclair noticed that the mask was gone, laying on the ground a few feet back, and along with the small gash on Bucky's lip, he was also staring down into a set of raging blue eyes; looking ready to kill.

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Kade was focused so intently on the terminal screen she was half expecting it to burst into flames. Her fingers seemed to move on their own, as she routed deeper and deeper into the mainframe. It nearly sickened her how easy it was to override their system and get to the mainframe, no doubt their analysts were preoccupied with other duties when she unraveled their protocols from the inside out. She made sure to shut off the fire safety protocol first; not wanting to be sealed inside and suffocated should the detonation go off before she was ready.

She took a steadying breath, inputting another series of commands and executing the decryption. Kade worried her lip as the command line processed, and it felt like everything around her was going in slow motion; her heartbeat hammering in her ears. Codes suddenly spilled out onto the screen and she almost leapt into the air with excitement, glancing over at her laptop to see those same codes upload onto it. Kadence opened another window, typing in a series of commands until a notification box appeared in front…'Standby'.

"Why destroy…when you can steal" she muttered to herself.

A heavy hand came down on her left shoulder, forcing her around just in time to have the back of a hand strike her across the right side of her face. The hand released her, letting the force of the hit throw her to the floor. Kade bit back the sting of pain as she lifted herself up with her arms, seating herself on her hips and turning to look back at the terminal. A taller man approached, reaching for the keyboard.

"I wouldn't" she warned, tucking her legs underneath her in an attempt to stand.

He turned to face her and the realization struck her almost instantly. The Russian from the video call, the day she decided to leave HYDRA…the commander in chief was standing just a few feet away. Kade's head spun for a moment as the analyst in her processed the situation at least a hundred times…each time never resulted very well in her case.

"Unless you know the termination code for that software…you do anything to it and it all goes public…every last bit of it" she stated, raising her chin defiantly.

The Russian stared her down, his eyes narrowing.

"You're lying" he growled.

"I hacked right into your mainframe in less than two minutes…and you think I'm lying?"

"Disable it" he warned.

A confident smirk crossed her lips and her eyes danced with confidence.

"Fuck you" she sneered.

He advanced on her, grabbing hold of her neck and forcing her into one of the server racks. She let out a strangled gasp, merely because of the hit against the server; far too used to this particular attack to be surprised…and used to far stronger of a hold.

"Still a mouthy little bitch I see"

Kade sneered and spit at him, nailing him in the eyes. Victor released her and stumbled back, wiping the sleeve of his jacket across his face. She built up as much confidence as possible, bringing her right leg across in a sweeping kick. Her confidence diminished instantly when he snagged her by the leg, drawing a fist down across the left side of her face. She hit the floor with a dizzying thud, the peak of her eyebrow striking against the floor; her jaw cramping painfully.

"Stupid little girl, you picked a fight with the wrong dog" he growled.

She glanced back, watching as he reached for something tucked inside the jacket of his suit. As the handle of a gun came into view, her mind raced, knowing there was no way she'd have hers drawn in time before he put a bullet in her; and then she reached for a last ditch plan…as well as something in her pocket.

Victor aimed his gun and she pulled the small phone from the pocket of her parka, hurling it at him. The phone struck him in the face, distracting him just long enough for her to scramble forward, taking cover behind one of the racks; giving her the time she needed to pull her glock from the holster. Her thumb flicked over the safety and she took hold of it, keeping hunched over as she ran to take cover behind another row.

Two shots rang out, nearly deafening as they echoed within the room; and she heard the high pitched pang of a ricochet snap just behind her. Kade took a breath and leaned back over, aiming at him as she fired off a few shots of her own; quickly ducking back behind the rack.

"I will enjoy killing you I think" he stated coldly.

She slowly leaned toward the edge of the rack, trying to peek out to get his location. A blinding flash of light sparked in her eyes, and she instantly recoiled; feeling the brief wave of heat from the bullet that nearly took her out. Nearly loosing balance, she rolled to the side and hid back behind another row.

Victor approached the first row, his gun aimed and sweeping across as he advanced on the next row. His lip curled as his eyes went back and forth along the racks, narrowing them dangerously and striding forward. He brought his leg up, planting his foot into the side of one of the server racks and with a thrusting push, forced it over. The rack clashed to the floor in a heap of metal and wires, and Victor stepped back to admire his work.

Kade suddenly burst from behind the row, firing off four more shots as she moved toward another rack. Victor quickly aimed as a bullet whizzed by his ear, grazing it ever so slightly. He fired once, and she felt the hot sting scrape along her upper left arm; the sleeve of the parka tearing against the force of the bullet. She hissed through her teeth, stumbling slightly off balance as she took cover, her back pressed hard against the server. Kade set her jaw, a rush of adrenaline surging through her veins, drawing in a deep breath, hearing his footfalls approaching from behind. Her mind went back to the service station, the row of glass bottles, and she heard his voice directly behind her. She exhaled slowly, turning her body to a kneeling position and readying herself.

"Hold still you little shit" he sneered.

He turned the corner, gun raised and she swore she saw the slightest hint of surprise on his face when they made eye contact. Kade pulled the trigger, again and again and again. He stumbled backward with each fire, small blackened holes appearing in various spots on his chest; those holes quickly saturating with red. Victor backed up until he met with the end of one of the server rows, and Kade kept her gun trained on him as she slowly stood up.

Victor looked down at his chest, seeming almost in shock as streams of blood slowly started to run down the front of his pressed shirt. He slowly looked up at her, the shock she thought she saw was now more evident.

"How…did…" he started, his balance wavering.

"I had a good teacher" she growled, barely recognizing her own voice.

She saw him start to raise his gun and another rush of adrenaline had her focusing down on her target, taking a slow exhale as she pulled the trigger one more time. His head was thrown back, knocking against the server before he slid down to the floor in a heap; a dark hole driving through his forehead. Kade lowered her gun, taking in the sight of him dead on the floor, blood still dripping from his wounds. The waves of initial panic slowly subsided, leaving the adrenaline pumping strong in her system; her hands starting to shake.

Kade drew in a breath, filling her lungs to capacity, holding it for a moment before she slowly exhaled; trying to calm herself and get back to the task at hand. Satisfied with her work, she turned back to the terminal, returning the gun to her holster and proceeding with her commands; smirking to herself triumphantly to have had her bluff actually work.

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Bucky pressed the severed hand on the scanner bed, watching a neon blue light move up the screen, then back down before the access light above it went green. A hidden slide of metal moved back on the deck of the control panel, and the amber warning lights mounted in the back corners of the room kicked on. He looked down at large, red button switch, yellow and black caution paint bordering around the outside.

His eyes lifted up to gaze out the tempered glass, seeing the massive reactor core in front of him; bearing a smirk as he slammed his hand down on the button. A warning siren began to wail on the speaker system, and the system screen blacked out, displaying only a counting red timer.

'09:58:27'

The smirk faded and Bucky turned to leave, bounding out from the control room. He rounded the corner and darted down another hall, easily sidestepping the bodies of McMillen and Sostre, then slowing only a fraction as he came across Sinclair. The commander was sitting against the wall, his right leg was bent at the knee but laying sideways across the floor. His left arm looked as if it had been wrung around twice, laying limp at his side, while his right arm continued to feed the growing pool of blood; his hand absent from the wrist. Sinclair rolled his head to the attention of the approaching soldier, his upper body itself was massively unsteady from the loss of blood, his jaw hanging only from the right side of his face; the left side of his cheek torn forcefully to the back of the mouth.

Bucky glared down at the commander, casually tossing the severed hand down to the him as he returned back to his hurried pace, hearing a digital female voice come over the loudspeaker.

"Warning…nine minutes to self-destruct"

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"Warning…eight minutes to self-destruct"

"Alright, I get it…just…shut the fuck up" Kadence growled, pushing several more commands to not only hush the voice that insisted in counting down, but kill the siren that was giving her a massive headache.

Her fingers were going near lightning speed, desperately trying to complete the commands in shutting down any override they might attempt, all the while glancing at the transfer status of her laptop.

92%

"Come on, just a little more" she begged.

"Kadence?" a man stated, almost breathless.

Kade spun around, her chest constricting painfully when recognition of his voice took hold; leaving her face to face with Anthony Jestings as he slowly entered the room. She saw the pure shock on his face, knowing that she was the last person he expected to see. That shock suddenly melted away, when his eyes drifted to the side, seeing the screen of her laptop. He looked like he just had the wind knocked out of him, and he was desperate for a breath.

"Kadence stop!" he barked, coming toward her.

Her initial paralysis was kicked away when survival instinct took hold, and she drew her gun, aiming him down so quickly she was even impressed with herself.

"Stay back!" she snarled.

Anthony halted in his tracks, stunned by the aggression in her voice, but more-so by the weapon in her hands.

"You just stay the hell away" she warned, her tone lowering to a threatening manner; she dared say his behavior had started rubbing off on her.

He raised his hands slightly in an innocent gesture, displaying he was unarmed. His eyes darted back and forth between her and the laptop, and she saw him lick his lips nervously; a fine sheen of sweat across his forehead became easily seen against the warning lights outside. She saw his attention drift toward the Russian, dead on the floor just a few feet away; loaded with bullets.

"I…thought you were dead" he stammered.

"No thanks to you…or did you think I wasn't aware that you were the one that reported me…you ruined my life"

"And that justifies you ruining everything we've-"

"NO! Everything YOU'VE built…I am not part of this! Not anymore!"

His expression changed, but despite his obvious growing anger, he kept his hands up.

"Don't think you can just wash your hands of all this, we built this code together, you are just as much a part of it as anyone else!...I taught you everything you know…and because of it you became one of the most gifted analysts that HYDRA has ever seen…that the world has ever seen…HYDRA gave you everything…I gave you everything…and you repay me by sticking a gun in my face!?"

Kade's first reaction to the shock of his words was to laugh, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"You're upset because I'm pointing a gun at you!? Do you have any idea what I've been through because of you!? Let's recap! I've been shot, drown, drugged, tortured, flown halfway around the god-damn world, pushed off a fucking cliff!..."

She had to silence herself, her whole body starting to shake with rage, and the finger around the trigger was itching to pull. Kade took a deep, steadying breath, reining the storm that was about to spiral out of control.

"…you fed me to the wolves" she growled.

"And you've returned leading the pack" he mocked.

The statement irked her beyond reason, and her grip on the gun tightened as she raised it closer to his head; solidifying a threat.

"Watch it" she warned.

"You're deluded if you think that your little stunt will manage into his good graces, he'll kill you the moment he's done with you"

"Don't talk as if you know him"

"Don't act like you do…he's a monster…he's been killing people since before you were even born, you'd be stupid to think he'd let you live"

"HYDRA's been killing their own people since before _you_ were born dad…what makes you think they won't do the same to you when you've served your purpose?" she asked, raising her eyebrow questionably.

She heard the chime from the laptop, glancing back to see two windows on her screen, the one above reading 'Transfer Complete', and 'Parameters Engaged: Deploy?' written on the bottom. Kade turned her attention back to her father, seeing the agitated look on his face; indicating he could see her screen just as clearly.

"So that's it…you're going to destroy everything we've worked so hard to achieve…you're going to just kill your own father?" he stated snidely.

Kade merely stared him down for a moment, not aside from entertaining the idea, and taking a steady breath before she spoke.

"This is the part where I separate myself from the monsters that you chose over me…I'm not gonna stoop that low…I'm not gonna kill you" she answered.

Anthony lowered his hands just slightly, his face looking purely confused by her response, no doubt due to the wayward conversation they just had. Kade took a breath for courage and lowered her gun just a fraction to her left and down before firing.

He let out a howl of pain grabbing for his right leg and falling to the floor in a crippled heap; his hands gripping his thigh to apply pressure against the hole just above his knee cap. She couldn't explain the rush of disappointment that overwhelmed her as she holstered the gun; her aim was just a little too high.

"I will however…make you watch" she stated, turning back to her laptop.

Anthony let out a groan, trying to look up at her as she typed in a set of commands.

"What are you doing!?" he howled.

"I'm going to show you what it feels like, to have everything you know…your entire life, torn away from you…"

She glared back at him, watching him writhe in pain without the smallest hint of apathy.

"…by someone you thought you could trust" she finished.

"Kade don't!" Anthony begged.

Kadence ignored him, striking down on the enter key.

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Martin Rivera had his forehead cradled in his hand, his elbow resting against the desk, holding the phone to his ear.

"Yea…yea I got it…just keep me in touch" he groaned, letting loose a sigh as he finally placed the receiver back in the dock.

Daniels came up from the side, setting a large Starbuck's cup on Rivera's desk. Martin grinned and reached for the cup, shaking his head nonetheless.

"I appreciate it more than you know, but please tell me you're bringing more to me than just a coffee" Rivera stated, gingerly taking a sip.

"Well…kinda…" Daniels replied, tossing a large gloss photo with a black and white security camera shot printed on it.

"…Facial recognition popped on the guy…Adam Godfry, city employee, a few parking tickets but otherwise spotless record...but when we ran it against the data the Jester gave us, he popped again…this time as a Jacob Simmons, active HYDRA agent for the U.S division"

"Right under our noses…seriously?" Rivera grumbled, taking up the photo.

"Yep"

"And what about the girl, what'd you get on her?"

"Yea…about the girl" Daniels stated innocently, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh don't do that" Rivera groaned.

"Facial didn't pop on either scan, so we dug up the entry logs for his computer…last name he ran in the system around that time stamp was a Tiffany Wood. So we run the DMV database looking for contact and photo ID…and the moment we get in there…a Trojan detonates"

"A Trojan?"

"Yea, the analysts say it's a time activated-"

"I know what a Trojan is, what the hell happened?"

"It isolated her information…and deleted it"

"How much?"

"…All of it…network guy said it was likely rigged to wipe the data the moment someone tried to access it from our network…like they were tryin to keep us from seeing something" Daniels explained, taking a sip of coffee.

"Great…just great…we got a dead HYDRA agent, a mystery witness in the wind and not a single lead…could this nightmare get any worse?" Martin huffed, leaning back in his chair.

"Come on, if you think about it, this guy was HYDRA…they've been pissing off a lot of people recently…I wouldn't be the bit surprised if someone decided to take the law into their own hands" Daniels advised, shrugging his shoulders.

"I call bullshit, there's no way this is a random Joe Blow with a shotgun and a bone to pick. For starters, how did they know he was HYDRA?...we didn't even fuckin know he was HYDRA, secondly, did you read the corner report? You know how he died?...Fifty caliber through the temple…you know where they found the gun that matched the bullet?...six thousand feet away…you know what it takes to get that kind of accuracy?...military training…christ…"

Rivera rubbed his hands over his face, the stress easily seen in his eyes.

"…this whole investigation is just one big heap of shit. The information Jester provided was a massive help, but fuck…the more we try to fish out, the deeper this shit seems to go…and to make matters worse, now there's a sniper loose in DC...we are screwed if the press gets wind of this"

Daniels said nothing, figuring it safer than trying to pull his usual card of attempting to lighten the situation. The younger detective took a sip from his coffee, glancing around at the office. It was only six in the morning and already it was swarming with people, granted it's been like this nearly around the clock since HYDRA was first exposed.

Rivera's phone suddenly came to life, which drew out an exasperated sigh from the agent. He yanked himself into a sitting position and quickly pressed the side speaker button.

"Rivera" he grunted.

"Martin, it's Greg from logistics, put everyone on alert, get their computers offline now, we're getting hacked!"

Rivera went rigid, forcing him to sit up straight in his chair; even Daniels was suddenly at attention.

"Hacked? What do you mean hacked?" he asked.

"I mean a full breach, they are locking the system down, I can't stop em!"

No sooner had Greg finished his sentence did Rivera's monitors go black, and judging by the reaction of everyone else in the office, theirs did too.

"Oh woah, woah, what the hell!?" Rivera growled, getting to his feet so quickly his chair went flying backward.

"Kill it! Kill the server line!" Greg shouted to someone in the background.

Suddenly a jester's face popped up on Rivera's screen, its bottom jaw bouncing up and down in implied laughter. Rivera froze, his brain momentarily paralyzed as he processed what he was seeing.

"No, no, no, no, leave it! Leave it! Leave it!...I know that face…I know that fucking face!" Rivera all but shouted, grabbing Daniels' arm and shaking him so hard he almost knocked the coffee out of his hands.

"Christ Rivera, we are getting a massive file upload" Greg warned, obviously still trying to contain the intrusion.

The face faded into the background as windows suddenly exploded onto the screens. Neither Rivera or Daniels could keep up with the documents and pictures as they flooded into view.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what the hell is all this?" Greg asked, even his hands were silent as he watched the influx of information.

"It's HYDRA…she's giving us HYDRA….the crazy bitch is giving us all of HYDRA! Look at all this! Maps, documentation, coordinates, agent lists…it's all here!"

"It's the fucking motherload!" Daniels added.

"It's gonna be a long day" Greg groaned, hanging up the phone.

"Get the director down here!" Rivera ordered, giving Daniels a push toward the door as he stared down at his screen.

Daniels didn't need to be told twice, bolting off for the director's office. Rivera sat back down in his chair, brandishing the widest grin he had had in days.

"When you said you had some things to do…you weren't fuckin kidding"

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Kadence found it too easy to drown out her father's groans and shouts, watching her computer screen as the upload percentage slowly crept across the bar. A low rumble echoed out from deep below them, and she barely felt the initial vibration. She backed up slowly as another rumble reached her ears, the lights outside flickering for a brief second.

The terminal beeped warning after warning, displaying system failure reports from various lower level locations; indicating only one thing…the self-destruct sequence had started. She worried her lip, focusing on the upload bar as if to will it to go faster; unwilling to abandon it until she knew it was completed.

"I…told you…he'll leave you to die here"

"And you can't lay there and tell me not a single one of us deserves otherwise" she snipped.

"Go on and hate me all you want…you'll understand one day…you'll realize why I did what I did…you'll see…I had no choice"

His cryptic words caught her attention enough to finally look over at him, feeling no remorse or sympathy than she did before.

"You had no choice? Is that the excuse that helped you sleep at night when you were the reason your own daughter was at the bottom of the Potomac!?"

Anthony rolled to his back, still holding onto his leg, and started laughing. Kadence suddenly felt the urge to put a bullet in his skull, but quickly dismissed it, worried that perhaps Bucky was rubbing off on her a little too much. She turned and walked toward him, gritting her teeth to keep her temper reigned.

"What the fuck is so funny!?" she spat.

"The irony of it all…he…he warned us this would happen…and it did…it's exactly as he said" Anthony laughed.

"Who said this would happen!?" she demanded, grabbing him by the shirt to enforce her sincerity.

"I tried…I did everything I could to stop it…but it was pointless...you can't control superior genetics"

Frustrated, she released him, brushing off his words as lunatic rambling, storming back to the computer just as another rumble vibrated beneath them; this time the tremor was more noticeable. She watched as the bar was just seconds from the end, as if testing her patience to the very last moment before it finally reached capacity, alerting her with a window, 'Upload Complete'. Another explosion rocked the foundation, which had her wobbling backward as the floor itself seemed to be shaking.

She suddenly collided with a solid form, hands tucked underneath her to keep her upright. Kade forced herself forward, breaking free from their hold; spinning around and going for her gun. She hesitated just long enough when her brain caught up with her eyes, taking in the set of fierce blues that stared back at her. Kadence let out an annoyed sigh and relaxed her posture.

"I said thirty minutes" he growled.

"I ran into a minor setback" she argued.

Bucky glanced over at the body to his right, seeing the numerous holes stamped in his chest, and the one buried in his forehead; he was impressed…but kept it quiet…they had more pressing matters at hand.

"Nevermind that…we need to leave" he advised, turning to head out the door, passing only a quick glance to the man laid out on the floor with a hole above his knee.

Kadence glanced back at the laptop, determining she had no further use for it now; following in behind him.

"So you _are_ gonna just leave your father to die?"

She stopped at the doorway, turning her attention toward him one last time; eyes narrowed.

"I said I wouldn't _take_ your life…I said nothing about saving it"

With that, she disappeared, following the soldier as they made their way for the elevator.

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Bucky came bursting out the stairwell door, finding it harder and harder to maintain balance as the levels beneath them were slowly caving in, the fire from the explosions below spreading to everything it could touch. The elevator locked up only halfway up, forcing them to finish their journey by foot; up the stairwell. Kade clawed at the wall, trying to keep her footing as the floor rocked and shook beneath her.

Little by little, they made their way around the circular ledge, and Kadence caught sight of the charred remains of the first round of agents they found. Part of the metal ledge gave way, crashing down into a pit of fire and explosions. Both of them put their backs to the wall, Bucky leading her along until they reached the corridor that opened into the old facility. A massive explosion erupted below, forcing Kadence to put a little more enthusiasm in her steps as she practically leapt forward, turning toward the old entrance.

The concrete floor suddenly bowed upward, forcing them both to brace themselves as they went forward. She stumbled ahead, nearly falling over; and for some unknown reason her head swam from the abrupt movement.

Even over the deafening explosions he heard the sharp echo of gunfire, forcing his attention behind them, locking sight with someone on the opposite side of the ledge, a large sniper rifle aimed. Bucky recognized him instantly, although the exchange was brief, it was imprinted in his mind…it was the blonde that pushed them over the cliff. Rage surged through him and he went for his knife, hurling it across the pit; satisfied when it drove itself into the blonde's forehead.

Bucky continued forward, nearly loosing balance himself as they came toward the double doors leading into the old hallways. The next explosion that radiated from below sent the ledge upward, heading straight for them. Just as they cleared the doors, Bucky slammed his fist into the emergency blast switch, activating a massive steel reinforced door to come hurtling down, effectively sealing them inside the old hallway. The explosions continued behind the door, sounding like they were miles away; the tremors however…still continued.

"Those doors…might not hold" Kade stated, sounding out of breath.

"They'll hold long enough" Bucky remarked, turning to head down the hall.

Kadence turned to follow, but suddenly felt a radiating pain cry out from her chest. In an instant it was difficult to breath as the searing waves constricted around her chest. She let out a choked gasp and fell to her knees, clutching her chest and feeling a wave of dizziness and nausea rattle her the moment she made contact. Bucky wheeled around, watching her crumble to the floor, turning on his heel and heading back to her; unable to hide the panic that appeared in his eyes.

"I…I can't…breathe" she rasped, struggling for air.

He knelt down at her side as she collapsed on the floor, gasping for air and holding onto her chest; it was then he noticed the hole in the front of the parka. His own breath lodged itself in his throat as his hands went for the zipper, yanking it down and thrusting the sides apart to expose a large bloodied hole directly under the right side of her ribcage; blood soaking through the shirt.

"Fuck" he spat.

Bucky grabbed hold of her hand, forcing the sleeve of the parka to cover it, then pushed it onto the wound. Kade howled out in pain, her entire body going rigid; and her short tempered breaths becoming more ragged and desperate.

"Hold it there, keep pressure on it" he instructed.

He tucked an arm behind her knees and one behind her back, holding her against his body as he lifted her off the floor. Kade cried out in pain, her eyes sealing shut; tears falling from her cheeks.

"Stay awake…you hear me?...just hold on" he advised as he started down the hall.

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He cursed the maze of hallways, he cursed them to the depths of hell and back. Bucky turned another corner, backtracking from the memory of their steps inside. All he had to do was get to the truck, knowing full well that the first aid kit in the back had at least two healing serum syringes inside; waiting to be used. Her cries and whimpers of pain had dulled out into short labored breaths, and her head lulled into his chest after she lost the ability to hold it up on her own…all he had to do was get to the truck.

Kade suddenly shifted in his arms, letting out a short burst of coughs; spitting up a heavy mouthful of blood. His heart beat painfully against his ribs and panic had him feeling weak. She spit up another mouthful as she coughed again and Bucky stopped, kneeling down in hopes to reapply the pressure.

"Hey, hey, come on, keep pressure on it" he warned.

He took in her face, seeing the blood smeared down her chin, her skin a deathly pale and her once vibrant eyes, looking clouded and dull as they fluttered at him; trying to stay open. Bucky released her legs, cradling her face with his right hand, stroking his thumb across her cheek in some gesture to encourage bloodflow.

"Kade? Kade come on, we're almost there, you have to stay awake, you hear me? Stay awake!" his voice was barely recognizable, wavering as he tried to speak.

She passed him a weak smile, and her chapped lips opened as if she were going to speak, but nothing came out. Her eyes began to flutter closed, and Bucky was all but striking her across the face to create enough stimulation.

"No, don't you dare…damn it stay awake!" he hissed, the desperation in his voice was as clear as day.

Her facial features relaxed and suddenly she was limp in his arms. Bucky felt a pounding against his ribs and a dull constriction in his lungs; and then came the strange stinging sensation in his eyes as tears brimmed along the corners.

"No…KADE!"


	14. Chapter Fourteen: How Strong You Are

_**I do believe I threw a few of yall for a loop with the last chapter...umm...opps?**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 14: How Strong You Are**

_****Two Weeks Later****_

A chilling rain came down around him, his clothes already soaked and his hair was dripping wet, draped over the right side of his face. It felt strange being in normal clothing again, donned in a pair of jeans, a black long sleeve shirt and a black leather jacket. His facial hair had even been trimmed down to a 5 o'clock shadow, simply as a gesture of respect. He kept his hands jammed in his jacket pockets, unmoved for what seemed like hours, blue eyes staring down into the depths of the neatly dug hole, focused on the ornate wreath placed on top of a dark cherry wood casket.

Bucky couldn't will himself to move no matter how hard he tried, and it wasn't just because he felt like a fish out of water, standing in the middle of a cemetery in DC; when just one month ago he was partially responsible for the mayhem that broke out into the streets. He took a deep sobering breath, glancing up at the headstone.

Kadence Jestings

April 17th, 1988 – September 20th 2014

"_You never know how strong you are, until strong is the only choice you have"_

He couldn't remember where he had heard that statement before...but after everything they had been through, he found it very fitting. The sound of slowly approaching footsteps made him aware his mind had drifted off, nearly leaving himself exposed; an error he was quick to correct. The man placed himself on the left, not saying a word, just gazing down into the grave as Bucky was doing just two minutes ago. Bucky grit his teeth, trying to form words enough to speak. Even after discovering their history, their bond, it was no easier to talk to him…not after everything that had led up to that moment.

"Thank you" he finally managed, his voice low and strained.

Steve was quiet for a moment, glancing over at Bucky.

"You're welcome"

The air between them seemed still, and the tension was getting thick enough to cut. He knew very well that both Steve and Sam had been looking for him since he dipped under the radar, avoiding them at every turn and even going so far as giving them a false trail to chase. It didn't surprise him in the least that Steve was just a little hesitant when he finally made contact; especially after such a request.

"To be honest…I didn't think you'd be able pull it off" Bucky stated, trying not to sound ungrateful.

"Yea well, it doesn't hurt when a billionaire owes you a favor…or the fact that her last endeavors with the FBI had them convincing the president to grant her a full honorary pardon…so I can't really take all the credit"

An amused smirk teased at the corner of Bucky's mouth, knowing exactly which billionaire his old friend recruited; wondering if the egotistical philanthropist was even aware just how closely their pasts were intertwined…and if he was…what reason would he have to help.

"You did it…you took down HYDRA" Steve stated.

"Deep down, you and I both know that's a lie…cut off one head…"

Steve was silent as Bucky trailed off, processing the statement.

"…two more take its place" Rogers' finished, sounding like he had finally caught on.

"This isn't over…not by a long shot"

"Come on Buck, think about it…she surrendered everything, the locations of every base they have, the identities of every one of their agents, recorded documentation of everything they were responsible for over the past seventy some years…this information is being shared with all the other nations…they're done"

Bucky gently shook his head, his disbelief carving a line through his jaw as he clenched his teeth. Steve sighed, turning his gaze back down to the casket below; holding his tongue from the questions he wanted to ask. He knew that Bucky's memories had returned, maybe not all of them, but they were still there, otherwise he wouldn't be so difficult to reason with. Bucky, more than anyone, knew the inner workings of HYDRA, so it made sense that while all the scenarios pointed to the demise of the very organization that pitted them against each other, the Winter Soldier was not so easily convinced of a belly up.

"Okay…say you're right, say this is just a monkey wrench in their plans…with the amount of people they'll be losing on a daily basis, this set back puts them back into the thirties, it will take them years to recover from this…"

Steve looked on as Bucky still refused to make eye contact, still seeming unconvinced by the captain's reasoning. Rogers drew his eyes back out toward the cemetery, slowly accepting the fact that his friend was not about to deter from his path to revenge; now more than ever.

"…but when they do…_if_ they do…we'll be ready" he finished.

"Damn right" Bucky growled.

Steve's attention quickly turned back to his friend, seeing that resentment and discontent melt into pure determination.

"You on board?" he asked.

Bucky looked over at him, and while his fierce, battle tested eyes were nothing like they were at the time, it was a glimmer of hope that his old friend was coming back. The soldier was silent, his eyes dancing as he tried to figure out what to say.

"I'm with you to the end of the line"

Just like that, Steve was back to his small apartment in Brooklyn, and Bucky was there when he needed him most. He gave a heartening smile and nodded his approval, though he was certain Sam might voice his concerns, he'd deal with that later; right now he was just happy to have Bucky back. Steve waited a few moments, before his attention fell back to the task at hand…something he really wasn't wanting to do.

"Look I uh, hate to say this but…they kinda have to finish up now" Steve mentioned solemnly, motioning his head behind them.

Bucky didn't have to look to know who Steve was referring to, he could hear their unsteady movements even from that distance; not a single one of them daring to approach him…proving his reputation was still the talk of the town. He said nothing, giving one last longing look to the gravestone before he turned to leave.

Steve walked alongside him as they made their way to the pathway, seeing a grey Taurus parked nearby; Sam waiting patiently in the driver's seat. The few people that did attend the funeral had long since gone home, and while Bucky only recognized two or three, he was still grateful of the fifteen that did arrive to pay their respects to a woman they likely had never met in person; vaguely recalling one of them being named Rivera. The ceremony had been over for nearly an hour, but Bucky stayed, standing in the rain, staring at her headstone…as if he wasn't ready to accept the fact she was gone.

"Need a ride back?" Steve asked.

Bucky slowly came to a stop, looking out over the cemetery; deep in thought.

"No, I uh…I need to be alone for a little bit…clear my head" he answered.

Steve nodded, glancing toward the car then back at Bucky, a hint of a smile across his face.

"Don't do anything stupid alright?" he warned.

The statement was all too familiar with him, and while it felt awkward, Bucky couldn't help the smirk.

"How can I…you're taking all the stupid with you"

Rogers chuckled at the innocent jab, remembering this same conversation before he was finally recruited.

"You're a punk" Steve jested.

"Jerk" Bucky replied.

Steve made a move toward him, embracing him a hug, and he felt Bucky go rigid in his arms, obviously still adjusting; but finally returning the gesture…albeit weakly. Steve gave him a quick pat on the back and pulled away, not wanting to push too much on the soldier at once. With one last glance, Steve turned and headed back to the car, leaving Bucky to stand in the rain. As the car pulled away, he heard the backhoe fire up behind him. Bucky took a steadying breath and willed himself forward, slowly making his way toward the front gates of the cemetery.

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Bucky watched as the rain streamed down the window, gazing out from the backseat of the taxi. He recognized these streets, most from his not so savory moments of destruction, but he still recognized them. The cab slowed down, moving in to park in an open spot in front of the apartment building. He saw no sign of the Taurus from earlier, which either meant Sam already dropped him off and went home, or he and Steve were still out and about.

He recalled the memory of when he and Steve were kids, playing around and exploring till all hours of the night, worrying their parents sick; and often times getting whipped because of it. It didn't matter how many times his mother took a switch to his rear back then…he'd be out doing the same thing all over again not but a few days later. Bucky was glad to have those memories back, although the return was crippling, it was still just subtle reminders he was human after all.

The cab driver pushed the gear into park and just sat there, and he heard nothing but the steady beat of the windshield wipers. The driver's hand moved up, flipping the switch to turn the overhead service light off, displaying to anyone walking by that the cab was off duty. Nothing was said for several minutes, and Bucky just sat there, staring out the window.

"You sure about this?" he asked, finally moving his eyes toward the rear view mirror.

The driver kept their eyes out the windshield, their face obscured by the ball cap seated over their head; a black haired pony-tail sticking out the back.

"I'm sure" a female replied.

She lifted her gaze to star back at him through the mirror, his blue eyes meeting with one blue eye, and one brown.

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_ He bent down, taking the thread between his teeth to break off the excess from the knot. It wasn't his best stitching job, but he didn't have time to be perfect. He tossed the bloodied hook on the surgical tray nearby, and reached down for the straps connected to the side of the chair, the blood from his hands smearing onto the leather as he tightened them down and buckled them. He then pulled the rubber bit from the overhead rigging, forcing it into her mouth and securing it around her head; making sure to leave the rest of the assembly. With her body secured down in the chair, he moved around to the other side and went for a syringe on the tray, stabbing it into a small vial and tipping it upward to extract the liquid. Truthfully, he was guessing as to what those vials were filled with, the German writing on the side seemed to strike familiar cords with him, but he couldn't place it; the desperation flowing through his veins clouding any other course of action except to try._

_ Tossing the now empty vial to the floor, he grabbed her arm and pushed the needle in, praying it found a vein, being as it was becoming impossible to see them. With the syringe emptied, he tossed it to the floor as well and reached for the lever mounted on the wall, yanking it upward. The hum of an electric current vibrated in his ears, along with the crackling and snapping as volts coursed through the straps. Her body trashed and twitched within the chair for only a few seconds before he turned the lever back down, killing the power. She was motionless, head lopped to the side and his fingers went to her neck, holding his breath in wait; still no pulse._

_ Bucky swore under his breath, going for another syringe, this time filling it with different vial. Again he pushed the liquid into her veins and pulled the lever upward, feeling pangs of regret as he watched her body thrash against the electrical current he was forcing on her. Bucky didn't expect this part of the facility to still have enough power for the chair to work, but he was nonetheless grateful that it did. He killed the power, checking for a pulse…still nothing._

"_Come on" he growled._

_ He grabbed hold of the box he had found, sifting through it madly to find anything that harbored the same chemical makeup as the healing serum. It was then that his eye caught hold of what looked like a small dial at the bottom of the box. Bucky held his breath, dumping the vials over onto the tray and going for the switch. He turned it, pulling it upward and exposing a long, tube shaped vial with a black HYDRA logo stamped on the side, tucked safely in foam packing; the liquid inside it a dark blue._

_ Bucky pulled the vial from the packing and went for the needle gun hanging on the wall. He pushed the vial into the slide and locked it down, hearing the soft hiss of pressure as the loading needle penetrated the vial cap. Taking a breath he jammed the gun into the side of her neck and pulled the trigger, watching the liquid disappear down the bottom. He tossed the gun on the counter and yanked the lever up one more time, watching in agony as she trashed underneath the straps. Bucky left the current on for a few moments longer, praying for a miracle, praying for anything at this point. He killed the power, checking her pulse again…feeling nothing. He then reached into his cargo pocket for the last thing he thought to try; the adrenaline shot._

_ He gripped the cap in his teeth, pulling it free and spitting it to the floor as he jammed the needle down into her chest, pushing down on the cap to release the contents into her heart. Bucky yanked the needle out, letting it join the others on the floor, and moved his hands over her chest, starting compressions. He counted five thrusts then grabbed the bit, yanking it from her mouth to replace it with his own, forcing a breath of air down her throat before he continued compressions._

_ His arms were shaking, whether from desperation or frustration, he didn't know, and he didn't care. Little by little his pace slowed, blindly reflecting the recess of his mind that was telling him his efforts were pointless. Bucky pushed himself backward, stepping back and running his hands through his hair, his eyes dancing with waves of emotion. He wheeled around and grabbed hold of the tray, sending it flying across the room with a guttural scream of agony._

_ Bucky spun back around, shaking his head as he returned to her side, placing his right hand over the point of injection, pressing the heel of his hand back and forth over her skin; trying to provide stimulus._

"_Kade…if you can hear me…" his voice started to break as she remained lifeless beneath his hand._

"…_don't do this…please don't do this" he finished._

_ The stinging sensation was returning as he looked down at her lifeless body, the dried blood down her chin, her skin so pale and cool to the touch; he didn't want to accept it._

"_Kade!" he howled desperately._

_ His fisted his hand and brought it down abruptly on her chest. Her eyes snapped open and she suddenly came to life below him, her arms fighting against the restraints, gasping desperately for air._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"You can stay here…Steve can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he's good people…he'll understand" Bucky stated, turning his attention back out the window as the people walked by, keeping their umbrella's trained above their heads.

"He thinks I'm in a casket six feet underground…that takes more explaining than it's worth right now. I appreciate it, I really do but…HYDRA needs to be fully convinced I'm dead this time…and in order to do that…I need to go under the radar…at least for a little while"

He exhaled slowly, wanting to argue her decision, but biting his tongue instead. He didn't want her out of his sight, but if she stayed, she risked exposing herself.

"Where you gonna go?" he asked, looking over at her.

Kade let out a soft sigh, drawing her own attention out the driver's side window and glancing up at the sky.

"Not sure yet…I'm thinking New Zealand…I hear it's nice this time of year" she smiled.

Bucky's jaw steeled, the thought of her being that far sent his stomach in knots. Silence filled the car for several minutes before he finally mustered the ability to speak.

"You take care of yourself" he advised.

"You do the same" she replied, looking down at the steering wheel.

He wanted to hold her, he wanted to feel her arms wrapped around him, he wanted to feel her lips pressed against his, but he reined his urges and reached for the door handle, opening the door and moving to get out.

"Bucky" she called.

He hesitated, not wanting to turn around, not wanting to face her; getting out of the car was hard enough as it was. Bucky slowly turned toward her, seeing her staring back at him with the slightest hint of a smile at the corner of her lips.

"I'll keep in touch" she stated.

There was no point in hiding the half smile he brandished, nodding his head in acknowledgement as he stepped out from the cab. He shut the door behind him, stepping up to the sidewalk and looking back at the cab as it slowly pulled away from the curb and headed down the street. Bucky watched from the sidewalk as the cab reached the stoplight at the corner and made a left turn, disappearing behind the buildings; leaving him standing in the rain.

_**FIN**_

**::END CREDITS::**

So here's to hoping you guys enjoyed this story. I know I've said it a couple times before, but words can't express how happy I am that this little fic has gotten so many favorites and follows…with more still coming! I also want to send a HUGE thank you to those of you that posted reviews during the production and a future thank you for any reviews/follow/favorite yet to come.

To noushy88, TinyDancer365, Scooby Lady, SchadenFreude95, Lania-ra, Calibelle, Lthombom, Bestbuds55, The Things You Wish You Knew, PiratePrincess16, Birdy Main, Dalonega Noquisi, and let's not forget the various guests…You guys (and gals) are amazing, and the feedback I was getting was a true encouragement to keep going! To my friend Missy, love you chickie! Hope you like it!

Again, thank you all so much! Happy fanficting!


	15. Update

**To Be Continued…**

Yes, you read that right!

After several requests and some careful thought, I have decided to make a sequel.

No official date can be announced as to when this will get started, being as I have a new plot to plan, but between studying and work…I have my hands full.

Rest assured, it will come.

-Z


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